The Grainery Church Podcast is where you can listen to our sunday messages and other special podcasts from other ministries within The Grainery Church.
What if the hardest part of following Jesus isn't believing the right things, but choosing to love when it's costly?
In this message, Adrian Smith continues our Living As People of Grace series by unpacking one of the most misunderstood passages in Ephesians. Looking beyond the surface, he reveals that Paul's focus isn't on power or control, but on the self-giving love of Christ, a love that always puts the flourishing of others first.
Rather than using Scripture to draw lines between people or prove who's right, Adrian invites us to see Jesus as the lens through which every relationship should be viewed. His love isn't about winning arguments or demanding obedience. It's about serving, sacrificing, forgiving, and building others up.
In a world quick to judge, divide, and protect ourselves, this message is a timely reminder that the Church is called to be different. The way we love one another is one of the clearest reflections of Christ the world will ever see.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and ask yourself: What would change if I chose to let love go first?
Have you ever felt like you had to earn God's approval—or caught yourself deciding who deserves it?
In this message, Ps Rachel Baker continues our Living As People of Grace series by exploring Ephesians 5 with a powerful reminder that none of us are called to judge who qualifies for God's love. Using the picture of a patient, a healer, and an insurer, Rachel reveals that every one of us stands in the same place before Jesus: in need of His grace, His healing, and His transforming work.
Rather than comparing ourselves to others or trying to measure up, we're invited to lay down our wounds, our pride, and our need to be in control. As Jesus changes our hearts, our words, our relationships, and the way we see one another begin to change too. We become people who speak life, extend grace, and reflect the love we've first received.
Whether you're carrying shame, wrestling with forgiveness, or simply longing to grow closer to God, this message is an invitation to stop striving and let the Great Physician do what only He can.
Take a moment to listen, be encouraged, and rediscover a grace with no exclusions.
What if the greatest witness to the world isn't what the Church says, but how the Church loves?
In this message, Ps Stu Brown continues our Living As People of Grace series by exploring Ephesians 4 and God's vision for His Church. Using the image of an orchestra playing in harmony, Stu reminds us that every follower of Jesus has a unique part to play, but it's only when we live in grace, forgiveness, and unity that the world truly sees Christ.
This isn't a call to try harder or become a "better Christian." It's an invitation to let the Holy Spirit transform our hearts so that kindness replaces bitterness, forgiveness overcomes offence, and encouragement becomes the language of our lives. As we learn to love one another well, we become a living reflection of Jesus to the people around us.
If you've ever struggled with conflict, disappointment, or finding your place in the Church, this message offers hope and a fresh perspective on what it means to belong to God's family.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and discover the beautiful sound that grace creates when God's people live as one.
Following Jesus isn't just about where your faith begins. It's about who you're becoming.
In this message, John Crawford unpacks the practical heart of Ephesians 4, showing that spiritual maturity doesn't happen by accident. Just as children need guidance to grow, followers of Jesus are invited to intentionally develop the character of Christ through humility, gentleness, patience, love, and unity.
Rather than measuring maturity by how much we know, John reminds us that it's revealed in how we treat one another. Every act of grace, every difficult conversation handled with love, and every choice to pursue unity over being right helps shape us into people who reflect Jesus more clearly.
Whether you've been following Christ for decades or you're just beginning your journey, this message is a timely reminder that we're not meant to grow alone. God is forming a community that encourages, challenges, and strengthens one another along the way.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and ask yourself: What's one step I can take this week to become more like Jesus?
Where do you turn when life feels uncertain? What keeps you standing when fear, disappointment, or hardship threatens to overwhelm you?
In this message, Ps Sue Irwin explores Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3, revealing that the Christian life isn't about trying harder, it's about being strengthened from the inside out. As we learn to trust Christ, our lives become deeply rooted in God's love, giving us a hope and confidence that circumstances can't take away.
Rather than settling for simply knowing about God, we're invited to experience His love personally. It's that transforming encounter that gives us the strength to endure difficult seasons, live with courage, and reflect Jesus to the world around us.
If you've been feeling anxious, weary, or unsure of what lies ahead, this message offers a powerful reminder that God's love is deeper than your fears and stronger than anything you'll face.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and allow your heart to be rooted in the love that never lets go.
What if church was never meant to be a place you go, but a people you're called to become?
In this message, Bev Murrill explores God's vision for the Church through Ephesians 3, reminding us that following Jesus is about far more than getting to heaven. We are invited into God's mission, becoming people who reflect His love, grace, mercy, and hope wherever we go.
Drawing on the example of Jesus and the unfolding story of the early Church, Bev challenges us to see ourselves as part of something much bigger. God's Church isn't standing still. It's moving into communities, workplaces, neighbourhoods, and everyday conversations, carrying His presence to a world longing for hope.
This message is both encouraging and challenging. It reminds us that every act of kindness, every conversation, and every moment of compassion has the potential to reveal God's heart to someone else.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and discover what it means to live as someone who is sent, not just saved.
Have you ever wondered what God is really like? Not what you've heard about Him, but who He truly is.
In this message, Ps Sue Irwin explores one of the most profound truths of the Christian faith: Jesus didn't simply come to forgive our sins. He came to bring us home to the Father. Drawing from Ephesians and the words of Jesus in John's Gospel, she unpacks God's heart to restore the relationship humanity was created to enjoy.
Too often, we live as though we have to earn God's approval or keep Him at a distance. But this message reminds us that we are no longer orphans, striving to prove ourselves. Through Christ, every barrier has been removed, and we're invited to know God as a loving Father who pursues us, welcomes us, and delights in us.
If you've ever felt distant from God, burdened by shame, or unsure where you belong, this message offers a fresh invitation to experience the joy, freedom, and peace found in His presence.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and rediscover the Father who has been pursuing you all along.
What if your identity is bigger than your achievements, your mistakes, or even the labels you've placed on yourself?
Continuing our Living as People of Grace series, Ps Rachel Baker explores one of the most powerful themes in Ephesians: how God sees us. Through the story of Scripture, from the Garden of Eden to the cross and beyond, we're reminded that God has never lost sight of His original purpose for humanity.
This message challenges the way we often define ourselves through performance, success, control, or comparison. Instead, Rachel unpacks the biblical picture of being God's dwelling place, people created to reflect His love, carry His presence, and live in relationship with Him.
In a world constantly telling us to build our own identity and prove our worth, this message offers a different invitation: to discover who we already are in Christ and to trust God's design for our lives.
Whether you're feeling unseen, disconnected, or simply searching for deeper purpose, this message will encourage you to see yourself through God's eyes and embrace the life He created you to live.
Have you ever felt like you need to do more, be better, or prove yourself before God can truly accept you?
In this message, Ps Sam Paul Pilli explores one of the oldest lies we still believe today: that our value comes from our performance. Drawing from Ephesians 2, he unpacks the difference between living to earn approval and living from the grace we've already been given.
Through relatable stories, practical examples, and biblical insight, Sam reminds us that God's love isn't something we achieve through effort, success, or spiritual performance. It's a gift. Before we accomplish anything, before we get everything right, we are already known, accepted, and loved in Christ.
This message is for anyone who feels trapped by expectations, exhausted by striving, or weighed down by the pressure to measure up. Grace doesn't lower the standard of life. It changes the starting point.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and rediscover the freedom that comes when you stop striving for acceptance and start living from it.
Have you ever found it easier to receive grace than to give it?
As we continue our Living as People of Grace series, Peter Schultz explores a challenging reality: while we celebrate God’s mercy toward us, we often struggle when that same mercy is extended to people we find difficult, frustrating, or undeserving.
Drawing from Ephesians 2, Peter reflects on our shared incompleteness and God’s relentless grace that meets us right in the middle of it. Through personal stories and powerful biblical insight, he reminds us that God sees beyond labels, failures, and first impressions. Where we often see barriers, God sees people He loves.
At the heart of this message is a confronting but freeing truth: grace is not earned, controlled, or reserved for a select few. It is the gift of a merciful God who continues to pursue, restore, and reconcile.
If you've ever wrestled with disappointment, prejudice, judgment, or extending compassion to others, this message offers a fresh perspective on what it really means to live as a person of grace.
Listen, reflect, and allow God’s mercy to reshape how you see both yourself and those around you.
Have you ever felt like there should be more to your faith than simply believing the right things?
As we continue our Living as People of Grace series, Ps Sue Irwin explores a powerful truth from Ephesians: God has already placed extraordinary spiritual capacity within every person who is in Christ. The question is, are we learning to use it?
This message unpacks what it means to truly know God, see beyond what’s right in front of us, live with unshakable hope, understand how deeply treasured we are, and walk in the power God has made available to us. These aren’t qualities reserved for a select few. They are invitations for every follower of Jesus.
In a world filled with uncertainty, distraction, and anxiety, this message reminds us that we don’t have to be defined by what we see around us. We can live from a deeper reality, one shaped by God’s presence, promises, and purpose.
Be encouraged to open your heart, grow in grace, and discover what God sees when He looks at you.
When you imagine God looking at you, what do you think He sees?
In the opening message of our new series, Living as People of Grace, Ps Sue Irwin explores one of the most important questions we can ask: Who am I, really? Drawing from the book of Ephesians, she unpacks the difference between the identities we build through achievements, roles, and expectations, and the identity God has already given us in Christ.
This message is a powerful reminder that your worth isn’t something you earn. Before you achieved anything, before you made mistakes, before you even existed, you were loved, chosen, and invited into God’s family. Grace isn’t a reward for getting life right. It’s the foundation from which we learn to live.
If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, anxiety, comparison, or the feeling that you’re not enough, this message offers a different perspective. Discover what changes when you begin to see yourself the way God sees you.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and be reminded of who you truly are.
Have you ever felt like you’re not enough for what God is asking you to do?
In this powerful Pentecost Sunday message, Bev Murrill explores the birth of the Church in Acts 2 and what it means for us today. Pentecost wasn’t just a moment in history, it was the beginning of a worldwide movement where ordinary people were filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to carry the love of Jesus into a broken world.
Through honest teaching, humour, and deeply encouraging truth, Bev reminds us that God doesn’t wait for perfect people. He works through willing people. Just like Peter, flawed, uncertain, and impulsive, we can still be used powerfully by God.
At the heart of this message is a hopeful reminder: you were never meant to do faith alone or in your own strength. The Holy Spirit still guides, comforts, empowers, and helps us communicate God’s love in ways that truly reach people.
Be encouraged, challenged, and reminded that the Church is still being built, and you are part of the story.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion around modern slavery, human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse involving children. Some listeners may find this distressing. Please take care while listening.
What happens when injustice feels too big to look at… and too important to ignore?
In this powerful Freedom Sunday conversation, Ps Sue Irwin sits down with GiGi Tupas from International Justice Mission to unpack the heartbreaking reality of modern slavery and online exploitation, while also sharing stories of rescue, restoration, and hope.
This message is confronting, but deeply important. Through GiGi’s personal story and the work IJM is doing in the Philippines and around the world, we’re reminded that following Jesus means stepping toward the broken places of the world, not away from them.
At the centre of this conversation is a challenging but hopeful truth: darkness does not get the final word. Lives can be restored, justice can rise, and ordinary people can make a real difference.
Listen prayerfully, reflect honestly, and consider how compassion can become action.
In this heartfelt Mother’s Day evening message, John Starreveld reflects on the deep impact mothers have on shaping our lives, often in ways we don’t fully recognise until later. Through personal stories, honest reflections, and moving testimonies from others in the church community, this message explores themes of sacrifice, resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength mothers carry every day.
Whether your relationship with your mum has been full of joy, marked by loss, or somewhere in between, this message gently reminds us to pause and recognise the good that has been sown into our lives.
At the centre of it all is a powerful truth: the nurturing love of a mother reflects something of the heart of God Himself, a love that comforts, supports, and stays faithful through every season.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and honour the people who helped shape your story.
What are the quiet things your mother gave you that still shape your life today?
In this special Mother’s Day message, Ps Stu Brown reflects on the wisdom, sacrifice, and lasting influence of mothers through heartfelt stories, Scripture, and honest moments from everyday life. From practical acts of care to deep spiritual legacy, this message explores how mothers often reveal something profound about the heart of God.
Through moving personal stories, including experiences of loss, resilience, faith, and unconditional love, we’re reminded that the greatest impact in life is often formed in ordinary moments of devotion and presence.
Whether your relationship with your mother has been joyful, complicated, or painful, this message creates space to reflect on the people who shaped us and the love that carries through generations.
At the centre of it all is the reminder that God sees us, nurtures us, and holds us close with compassion that never fades.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and remember the legacy of love that continues to shape your story.
Have you ever walked through something hard and wondered, “Where is God in this?”
In this honest and relatable message from The Generosity of God series, James Chapman explores how easy it is to forget what God has already done, especially when life gets tough. Through the story of the Israelites, he highlights a tension we all feel: fear can quickly drown out faith, even after we’ve seen God come through before.
But this message isn’t about guilt, it’s about perspective. God is still providing, still moving, still present… even when we can’t see it. And sometimes, remembering is the key to trusting again.
With practical ways to build reminders into everyday life and a powerful personal story of finding hope in what others might call a limitation, this message speaks right into real life.
If you’re in a season where it’s hard to see God’s goodness, this is for you.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and remember—you might not see the full picture yet, but God hasn’t stopped working.
Have you ever wondered why some moments of giving stay with you long after they’re gone?
In this message from The Generosity of God series, Ps Sam Paul Pilli shares personal stories that reveal how God’s generosity shows up in both the miraculous and the uncomfortable. From answered prayers in childhood to unexpected provision through others, this message paints a bigger picture: God doesn’t just meet needs, He multiplies impact.
At the heart of it is a simple but powerful idea, generosity isn’t meant to stop with us. Like a seed, it grows, spreads, and changes lives beyond what we can see. Even the small things we offer can become something far greater in God’s hands.
This is a timely reminder in a world that often holds back: you don’t need to have much to make a difference, you just need to be willing.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and consider where generosity might be flowing through your life right now.
What if the small moments in your life are shaping someone else’s faith story?
In this powerful panel from The Generosity of God series, Ange McPherson sits down with members of the Granary Church community to share real, honest journeys of coming to know Jesus. From growing up in faith, to finding purpose in the middle of chaos, to wrestling with big questions over time, each story reveals the same thread: God is already at work, and people matter more than we realize.
This message reframes generosity as something deeper than giving, it’s about showing up. A conversation, an invitation, a consistent presence… these are the moments God uses to transform lives.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about sharing your faith, or wondered if it even makes a difference, this will encourage you. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to be willing.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and consider who God might be inviting you to walk alongside this week.
What if generosity isn’t about giving more… but about trusting that you already have enough?
In this message from The Generosity of God series, Ps Sue Irwin explores how generosity flows from who God is, not just what we do. It’s not a nice extra for Christians, it’s a core part of how God’s kingdom works.
Through honest reflection and powerful real-life stories, this message challenges the way we think about generosity. It’s not just about money. It’s in our words, our time, our thoughts, and how we treat people, especially when there’s nothing in it for us.
At the heart of it is a simple but confronting truth: we hold back because we’re afraid there won’t be enough. But when we begin to truly rest in God’s love and provision, generosity becomes natural.
If you’ve ever felt stretched, guarded, or unsure how to give, this message will help you reset your perspective and take a step forward.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and let God reshape how you live and give.
What if the way you treat people today could echo far beyond what you’ll ever see?
In A Generous Life: Stories from Ruth, Bev Murrill unpacks a powerful story from Scripture that flips our assumptions about generosity. Through Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, we see that generosity isn’t about wealth or comfort, it’s about the posture of the heart, especially when life is hard.
This message challenges the idea that generosity is just about money. It’s about how we respond to people, especially those we’d rather avoid. It’s about leaving margin in our lives, choosing kindness over reaction, and reflecting God’s heart in everyday moments.
In a world stretched thin by pressure and distraction, this is a timely reminder: small acts of generosity can shape lives, shift atmospheres, and carry God’s love further than we realise.
Take a moment to listen, reflect, and consider where generosity might be calling you next.
What if your purpose isn’t something you have to find, but something you’re already invited into? And what if the reason life can feel unclear is because you’re looking at it the wrong way?
In The Great Commission, Ps Sue Irwin takes a fresh and relatable look at one of Jesus’ most well-known commands. Instead of pressure or performance, she reframes it as an invitation to live with meaning, purpose, and impact in everyday life.
This message explores what it really means to be a disciple, not just believing in Jesus, but learning to live like Him. Through simple but powerful insights, Sue shows how your life, your relationships, and even your ordinary moments can reflect God’s love in a way that draws others in.
At a time when so many people are searching for meaning, this message reminds us that following Jesus is not about having all the answers. It is about living a life that points to Him.
If you’ve ever wondered what your purpose really is, this is a message worth sitting with.
This Easter Sunday message from Asher Morrison invites you to rediscover the heart of what Easter is really about. It is more than a moment in history. It is an invitation into new life.
With honesty and clarity, Asher explores the reality of the resurrection and what it means for us today. It speaks to those moments where life feels uncertain, where hope feels distant, and where we are searching for something real to hold onto. The message reminds us that Easter is not just about remembering what Jesus has done, but stepping into what that means for us personally.
There is a powerful sense that no matter your past or where you find yourself right now, God is still at work. The resurrection is a reminder that things can change, that hope is not lost, and that new beginnings are possible.
If you are looking for encouragement, fresh perspective, or a reminder that your story is not finished, this message will meet you right where you are.
This Good Friday message from Ps Sue Irwin invites you to see the cross in a way that is both deeply personal and life changing. No matter where you find yourself right now, whether you feel close to God, unsure, or even disappointed, this message meets you there and gently points you back to His love.
Sue unpacks a powerful truth that many of us wrestle with. We often shape God in our own image, assuming He is distant, harsh, or waiting to punish us. But when we look at Jesus on the cross, we see something completely different. We see a God who chooses forgiveness, who steps into our pain, and who loves without holding anything back.
This message also speaks to the deep longing we all carry. The desire to be fully known, fully loved, and to truly belong. It reminds us that this longing is not a mistake, but a sign pointing us back to God.
If you have ever struggled with fear, doubt, or feeling not good enough, this is a message that will speak straight to your heart and help you rediscover the depth of God’s love.
This Palm Sunday evening message takes a different and powerful approach, inviting us to listen, reflect, and respond. Featuring guest speaker Asuntha Charles in conversation with Matt Darvas, this episode shines a light on real stories of faith, justice, and the work of God beyond our immediate world.
Through this interview, we hear what it looks like to live out the heart of Jesus in practical ways, especially among those who are often overlooked or in need. It is honest, eye opening, and deeply challenging.
Following this, Ps Sue Irwin brings a timely message that draws everything together. She reminds us that Palm Sunday is not just about celebration, but about recognizing the kind of King Jesus truly is and the kind of life He calls us into.
This episode will stretch your perspective and encourage you to think beyond your own world. It is a call to live with compassion, courage, and a faith that moves into action.
On Palm Sunday, David Ritchie invites us to look again at a moment that can feel familiar but carries far more weight than we often realize. Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey might seem simple, but it was a deliberate act filled with meaning.
This message unpacks how that moment was not about spectacle or power in the way people expected. It was a quiet but bold declaration of who Jesus truly is. A King, but not one who conquers by force. A King who brings peace, not through dominance, but through sacrifice.
Drawing powerful parallels between history, scripture, and our own lives, David challenges us to rethink what it means to follow Jesus. It is not about control, status, or winning. It is about surrender, humility, and choosing to live differently in a world that often pushes the opposite.
If you have ever wondered what it really means to live out your faith in everyday life, this message will give you something real to wrestle with.
Adrian Smith continues our Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith series with a great question. What if faith was never meant to stop with us?
This message unpacks a simple but confronting truth. Real encounters with God always turn us outward. Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and stories throughout Scripture, Adrian shows that love is not just something we talk about or feel. It is something we live out in real relationships, especially with people we find difficult.
With honesty and humour, he reflects on his own struggles with family and how easy it is to keep people at a distance, even while praying for them. But faith that stays inward misses the point. Transformation is not just for personal growth. It is for others. It is for your world, your relationships, and the people God is calling you toward.
This episode will challenge you to move beyond comfort and take a step toward someone in your life. Not just with words, but with action.
If you have ever wondered what living out your faith really looks like, this message will give you a clear and practical place to start.
In this weeks AM message as we continue going through Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Ps Sue Irwin brings the series to a powerful and deeply personal point. What does it actually look like to reach the goal of faith?
This message explores what it means to move beyond simply knowing about God to truly living in His love. Sue walks through the final stage of the journey, where faith is no longer about performance or understanding everything, but about becoming someone who knows and relies on the love of God in every circumstance.
Through powerful stories, including the life of St Patrick and real examples of forgiveness and surrender, this message challenges us to rethink how we respond to pain, fear, and even our enemies. It is not about having life all figured out. It is about choosing love when it is hardest, trusting God when we do not understand, and allowing Him to transform us from the inside out.
If you have ever wrestled with fear, disappointment, or unanswered questions, this message points you toward a deeper freedom. A life where love, not fear, has the final word.
In Week 6 of the series Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Ps Sam Paul Pilli explores what happens when our journey with God runs into a wall. Those moments when life feels confusing, painful, or uncertain are not the end of faith. They are often where faith grows deeper.
Looking at the life of Peter, Sam shows how an ordinary fisherman was transformed through his encounters with Jesus. Peter experienced incredible moments of faith, but he also faced failure, fear, and the painful reality of denying Jesus. Yet even in those moments, Jesus did not abandon him. Instead, Peter was restored and called forward into a greater purpose.
Sam also shares honestly from his own story, reflecting on seasons of grief, loss, and personal struggle. Through those difficult times he discovered something powerful. The goal of the Christian journey is not simply achieving something for God. It is allowing God to reshape our hearts, our identity, and our trust in Him.
If you have ever felt stuck, discouraged, or unsure where God is in the middle of your circumstances, this message is a reminder that the wall may actually be the place where God is doing His deepest work in you.
In Week 6 of the series Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Bev Murrill explores one of the most powerful turning points in the journey of faith. The moment when we come face to face with who we really are before God.
Looking at the story of Jacob, Bev walks through the long and complicated journey that shaped his life. Jacob began as a schemer and a manipulator, chasing blessing in his own strength. Yet over time, through struggle, hardship, and difficult circumstances, God began to work on his heart. The defining moment came when Jacob wrestled with God and was forced to confront his true character. It was in that honest moment of surrender that transformation began.
This message reminds us that faith is not a quick fix or a simple path to perfection. It is a journey that includes walls, inward reflection, and outward growth. As we allow God to work in our lives, we begin to move from relying on our own strength to trusting His.
If you have ever wrestled with your faith, your identity, or the challenges of life, this message offers encouragement to stay in the journey and let God shape who you are becoming.
In Week 5 of the series Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Stu Brown continues exploring one of the most difficult but transformative stages of the spiritual journey. The wall. Those moments when life feels stuck, prayers seem unanswered, and faith is tested in ways we never expected.
Drawing from Psalm 23 and his own personal story, Stu reflects on how these dark valleys can shape us more deeply than seasons of comfort ever could. He shares honestly about walking through painful experiences, including the heartbreak of miscarriage, and how those moments forced him to wrestle with God, trust His timing, and listen for His voice.
Rather than offering easy answers, this message points to something deeper. The wall is not the end of the journey. It is often where God begins a work of healing and transformation within us. As we surrender control, learn patience, and seek His voice, we discover that we are never walking the valley alone.
If you have ever asked “Why God?” or felt stuck in your faith, this episode offers encouragement and hope for the road ahead.
In Week 4 of Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, John Crawford takes us into one of the most defining stages of spiritual growth. The wall. That moment when faith feels hard, disappointment sets in, and we begin to question what God is doing.
With honesty and vulnerability, John shares from his own story of hurt, bitterness, and nearly walking away. He unpacks Psalm 73 and the journey of Asaph, a worship leader who almost lost his footing when envy and self focus clouded his vision. It is a powerful reminder that walls are not signs of failure. They are pivot points. Moments where we either drift further from God or choose to surrender more deeply.
This message speaks to anyone who feels stuck, overlooked, frustrated, or spiritually dry. It gently exposes the danger of bitterness and self pity, while offering a hopeful path forward through obedience and trust. If you are at a crossroads in your faith, this episode will help you see that the wall is not the end of your story. It might just be the place where God shapes you most
In Week 3 of Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Ps Sue Irwin unpacks what it really means to step into the productive life. This is the stage where faith moves from personal experience into active participation in God’s bigger story.
Tracing the thread from Genesis to the New Testament, Sue reminds us that blessing was always God’s plan. We were created to reflect His image, to live in trustful dependence on Him, and to carry His blessing into the world. Through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, that calling is restored. We are not just saved individuals. We are a community entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.
This message challenges us to move beyond self focus and into surrender. It calls us to lay down pride, comparison, and self protection, and to find our true identity in Christ. When we do, we discover freedom, purpose, and the joy of serving together as one body.
If you have ever wondered how your gifts, struggles, and faith journey fit into God’s greater plan, this episode will help you see the bigger picture and step into it with courage.
In this Week 2 PM message of Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Ps Rachel Baker unpacks what it really means to discover eternal truth. With honesty, humour, and powerful personal stories, she explores how Scripture is more than information to memorize. It is a gift from God meant to shape, equip, and transform us.
Rachel walks through the difference between knowing the written word and knowing Jesus, the Word made flesh. She explains how the Bible becomes like a sword in our hands, not to wound others, but to defend against lies and cut away what holds us back. Drawing from her own journey through fear, doubt, and hitting the wall, she shares how verses planted in childhood became lifelines when life felt dark and overwhelming.
This message is both practical and deeply encouraging. It challenges us to move beyond collecting knowledge and instead allow God’s truth to renew our minds and anchor our identity in His love. If you have ever wondered how Scripture fits into real life, this episode will help you see it in a whole new way.
In this second week of Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Ps Sue Irwin takes us deeper into what it really means to grow spiritually. After the initial encounter with God, what comes next? Sue explains that faith is not just about a powerful experience or learning to serve. It is about allowing God’s truth to reshape the way we think.
Drawing from Joshua, Psalm 23, and the temptation of Jesus, she shows why knowing Scripture is not about winning arguments or appearing spiritual. It is about renewing the mind. When we learn to meditate on God’s Word and invite the Holy Spirit to help us understand it, we begin to think differently. We stop being shaped by fear, comparison, and pride, and start living from trust, courage, and love.
Sue also warns of the subtle trap of legalism and reminds us that the goal is not knowledge alone, but becoming like Christ. This message is a practical and powerful invitation to build your life on solid ground and allow God’s truth to form you from the inside out.
In this opening message of our new series called Becoming: Navigating Your Journey of Faith, Ps Sue Irwin invites us to step back and reflect on the journey of faith we are all on. Rather than seeing faith as a checklist of right beliefs or good behaviour, Sue reframes it as a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus. It is less about what we do and more about who we are becoming along the way.
Through Scripture, personal stories, and the moving testimony of someone walking through grief, Sue explores how faith grows through experience, truth, service, and seasons of struggle. She reminds us that every believer will face moments where faith is tested, expectations are challenged, and easy formulas no longer work. These moments are not failures but invitations to deeper trust and transformation.
This message is an encouraging starting point for anyone questioning where they are in their faith or wondering what the goal of following Jesus really is. It offers clarity, hope, and a fresh vision for navigating the journey with honesty, courage, and grace.
In this final message of the Anxious for Nothing series, Asher Morrison brings the conversation to a powerful and hope filled close. With warmth, honesty, and insight, he helps us understand what anxiety is really pointing to beneath the surface. Fear is not random. It often reveals what we believe about our future, our worth, and our ability to cope with what lies ahead.
Drawing from Philippians and his own experiences, Asher explains how anxiety can be like being winded. It alerts us that something deeper is going on. Rather than shaming us for feeling anxious, this message gently invites us to listen to what our fears are telling us and to bring them into the light of who Jesus is.
Asher walks through some of the most common fears people carry, including loneliness, failure, suffering, and uncertainty about the future, and shows how Jesus speaks directly into each one. This episode offers reassurance, clarity, and deep encouragement. If anxiety has been shaping your thoughts or limiting your hope, this message reminds you that your future is not unknown. Your future is Jesus.
In this deeply honest and practical message, John Crawford speaks from lived experience about anxiety, fear, and the quiet weight many people carry every day. With vulnerability and wisdom, he reminds us that anxiety is not a failure of faith and it is not something to be ashamed of. It is part of living in a broken world, and it is something God cares deeply about.
Drawing from Philippians 4, John unpacks what it really means to be anxious for nothing. Not by denying our struggles, but by learning how to respond when anxiety shows up. Through powerful stories, including moments from his own life, he explains the difference between happiness and joy, and why peace is rooted in relationship with God rather than circumstances.
This message offers practical, biblical steps for anyone who feels overwhelmed, restless, or stuck in cycles of worry. It gently leads listeners toward praise, prayer, and a renewed focus on God’s love.
If anxiety has been shaping your thoughts or stealing your peace, this episode offers hope, clarity, and a way forward grounded in grace.
In this powerful and practical message, Ps Sue Irwin speaks directly to one of the quiet struggles many believers face: how faith can slowly weaken under pressure, worry, and disappointment. Drawing from Paul’s words in Philippians, she explores what it really means to rejoice in the Lord, not because life is easy, but because God is trustworthy in every circumstance.
Sue unpacks how anxiety, fear, and hardship can gradually erode faith if we are not intentional about protecting it. With clarity and compassion, she shows that rejoicing is not denial or forced positivity. It is a conscious decision to place our trust in who God is rather than what we are facing. This kind of rejoicing becomes a safeguard, revealing when our hearts are growing weary and inviting us back to rest in God’s power and love.
This message will resonate deeply with anyone feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or spiritually tired. It offers encouragement, wisdom, and practical steps to keep faith strong, hearts soft, and hope anchored in the Lord who holds all things together.
In this deeply grounding message, Ps Sue Irwin invites us to discover freedom from anxiety by understanding who we really are in Christ. Drawing from Philippians and Ephesians, she unpacks how much of our worry comes from striving to meet our own needs, prove our worth, or gain approval from others.
Sue points us to Jesus as the ultimate example. Fully secure in the love of the Father, Jesus lived a life of humility and service, not out of fear or obligation, but from an abundance of love. This same invitation is offered to us. When we stop trying to earn love and instead receive God’s mercy, our mindset begins to change and so do our relationships.
This message speaks with compassion to those carrying fear, shame, rejection, or past wounds. It gently challenges listeners to let go of control, surrender anxious striving, and live from the deep assurance of being loved by God. If you long for peace that reaches beyond circumstances, this episode offers wisdom, hope, and a path toward lasting freedom.
As we begin a new year, Ps Sue Irwin opens this series with a hopeful and practical message about living free from anxiety. Drawing from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, she reminds us that an anxious life is not fixed by willpower, positive thinking, or better planning, but by a deeper shift in what we believe about ourselves and about God.
Sue gently explores how anxiety is often rooted in identity and misplaced trust, and how peace begins when we learn to live from who we are in Christ rather than striving to become someone through outcomes and achievements. Through Scripture, stories, and clear teaching, she invites us to experience God’s love personally, not just understand it intellectually.
This message is a powerful starting point for the year ahead. It offers a fresh perspective on prayer, spiritual growth, and what it really means to be God’s children. If you are carrying worry, feeling overwhelmed, or longing for a steadier sense of peace, this episode sets a grounding and hope filled tone for 2026.
In this thoughtful and timely message, Ps Rachel Baker speaks into the space many of us find ourselves in at the end of the year. The in between. The moment after Christmas has passed but before the new year has begun. It is a season filled with reflection, expectation, uncertainty, and hope.
Rachel explores why we are so drawn to planning, goal setting, and resolutions, and gently challenges the idea that we are the authors of our own outcomes. Drawing on Scripture and the stories of people who lived in the waiting between promise and fulfillment, she reminds us that God is always at work in these in between seasons. Not rushing us forward, but shaping our hearts and inviting us to trust Him more deeply.
This message is an invitation to pause, to offer our plans to God, and to allow Him to guide what comes next. As the final podcast for 2025, it creates space to reflect, realign, and step into the new year with open hands and a heart ready to listen.
In this encouraging and practical message, Ps Sue Irwin helps us reflect on the year we’ve just lived and shows us how to finish it well, no matter what it has held. As we look back on the highs, the lows, and the moments in between, Sue reminds us that nothing is wasted in God’s hands. Every experience can become a pathway for His blessing when our hearts and minds are aligned with Him.
Using the story of King Jehoshaphat, she explores what it really means to trust God in the face of fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming circumstances. Rather than striving harder or trying to control outcomes, we are invited to realign our thinking, surrender our worries, and learn how worship, gratitude, and faith open the door for God to move.
This message is especially meaningful for anyone feeling weary, anxious about the future, or unsure how to step into the year ahead. It offers hope, perspective, and practical encouragement to trust God more deeply and allow Him to turn valleys into places of blessing.
In this thoughtful Christmas Eve message, Ps Sue Irwin invites us to see Christmas as more than a familiar story we know about, but as an encounter with someone we can truly know. While the nativity often looks peaceful and polished, Sue gently pulls back the curtain to reveal the deeper reality of what was happening when Jesus was born. Heaven was breaking into earth, and it was anything but simple or safe.
Through Scripture, story, and rich imagery, she explores the idea of incarnation and why God chose to come to us as a humble, vulnerable baby. This was not weakness but intention. God wanted to meet us without fear, to speak our language, and to draw close to every human heart. Christmas becomes a rescue story unfolding both visibly on earth and powerfully behind the scenes.
This message will encourage anyone longing for meaning, peace, or a deeper understanding of God’s presence. It is an invitation to move beyond knowing about Jesus and to experience Emmanuel, God with us.
In this deeply reflective message, Matt Darvas invites us to wrestle honestly with the tension between the peace promised at Christmas and the pain we see in the world around us. Set against the realities of global conflict, personal loss, and the recent Bondi tragedy, Matt explores what it means to hope for peace when life feels anything but peaceful.
Through Scripture, personal family history, and thoughtful reflection, he reminds us that Jesus did not enter a calm and orderly world. He entered a broken one. This is not a message that avoids hard questions. Instead, it gently guides listeners toward a deeper, truer peace that does not deny suffering but meets it with love, justice, and grace.
The message also features Ps Stu Brown singing O Holy Night, allowing space to pause, reflect, and let the words of this timeless carol speak to weary hearts.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world or carrying quiet pain of your own, this episode offers space to breathe, reflect, and rediscover the peace that Jesus gives, not as the world gives, but as only He can.
In this powerful and honest message, Bev Murrill takes us beyond the polished nativity scenes and into the real world Mary and Joseph lived in. Christmas was not calm, safe, or predictable. It was lived under occupation, fear, uncertainty, and enormous personal cost. Bev invites us to see how God’s light entered the darkness of ordinary, difficult life, not to remove the struggle, but to meet people within it.
Through Mary’s courageous yes and Joseph’s quiet obedience, we are reminded that God’s favour does not mean comfort, approval, or ease. It often means surrender, misunderstanding, and perseverance. Yet it is through that costly faithfulness that God brings hope, justice, and redemption into the world.
This message will resonate with anyone who feels caught between promise and pain, faith and fear. It offers deep encouragement to trust God in the now and the not yet, and to believe that even in hardship, His purposes are still unfolding through ordinary people who say yes.
In this uplifting Christmas message, Stu Brown invites us to slow down and rediscover what the season is really about. With humour, honesty, and warmth, he challenges the busyness and consumerism that so easily take over December and reminds us that Christmas isn’t just a holiday, it’s the moment heaven came to earth.
Through stories, Scripture, and reflection, Stu explores Jesus’ question to His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” and reminds us that how we answer that changes everything.
Like Simeon and Anna at the temple, we’re called to recognize the true presence of Jesus and respond with praise, even in the middle of life’s messiness.
Whether your Christmas feels joyful or complicated, this message will help you centre your heart on what really matters: the hope, peace, and love that arrived when Christ was born.
In this powerful message, Bev Murrill explores how God uses the challenges, pain, and irritations of life to shape us into something beautiful. Drawing from Jesus’ parable of the pearl of great price, Bev reminds us that true transformation takes time and surrender. Like an oyster forming a pearl around a grain of sand, God covers our pain, pride, and fear with His grace until it shines with His glory.
She challenges us to let go of the “holy grails” we cling to. Our opinions, control, and need to be right and instead pursue the priceless treasure of becoming more like Christ. Real healing comes not from what we hold on to, but from what we release into God’s hands.
This message will inspire you to trust God’s process, find beauty in difficulty, and keep seeking the pearl of great price, Jesus Himself. No matter the cost.
In this encouraging message, John Crawford challenges us to stop living with a “not yet” mindset and start stepping into what God is calling us to do now. We all have good intentions, plans to grow closer to God, change habits, or become better versions of ourselves but too often we get stuck waiting for the perfect time.
Through Scripture and personal stories, John reminds us that God’s kingdom is not a distant dream but something we can experience in our everyday lives when we choose to make Him the centre of everything. The distractions of the world, our possessions, ambitions, and self-focus can easily take our eyes off what really matters.
This message will inspire you to stop delaying growth, confront what’s holding you back, and refocus on the one thing that lasts forever. God’s love and purpose are available now, not someday. The question is, will you let Him in today?
In this heartfelt message, Ps Sue Irwin invites us to see confession not as something to fear, but as a doorway to freedom. Too often we hide what’s really going on inside because we expect judgment or rejection. But God’s heart is not to punish, it is to heal. When we come honestly before Him, we step out of shame and into grace.
Through Scripture and real-life stories, Sue explains how confession is less about listing our mistakes and more about letting light into hidden places. It’s where belief becomes experience, where we discover that God’s mercy is greater than our guilt. She also challenges us to be the kind of friends who can hold another’s honesty without judgment, creating spaces where grace and healing can take root.
This message will encourage you to stop hiding, to trust God’s kindness, and to experience the freedom that comes when we allow His love to make us whole.
In this heartfelt message, Bev Murrill reminds us that every follower of Jesus carries the light of God within themand that light is meant to be shared. Drawing from Psalm 97:11, she explains how light can be sown like seeds, spreading hope and truth wherever we go.
Through touching personal stories, Bev reflects on her late husband legacy of shining God’s light and challenges us to do the same in our homes, workplaces, and communities. Even when the world feels dark, God calls His people to bring light into it. Not because we are perfect, but because His light never runs out.
This message is a powerful encouragement for anyone who feels small or insignificant. One tiny flame can ignite thousands more. The world doesn’t need perfection; it needs people willing to shine. Bev’s words will inspire you to live courageously, sow seeds of light in dark places, and trust that God’s brilliance will shine through you for generations to come.
In this inspiring message, we are invited to look at life through the lens of grace rather than fairness. So often we find ourselves wondering why things happen the way they do or why life doesn’t seem fair. But through the story of Job, we are reminded that God is not building a world based on fairness. He is creating a kingdom built on grace.
Grace is where love is freely given, not earned. It is what transforms hearts, heals relationships, and restores hope. When we stop trying to earn God’s favor and simply receive His love, everything changes.
If you have ever struggled with disappointment, loss, or the feeling that life has been unfair, this message will encourage you to rest in God’s goodness. You will discover that in His kingdom of grace, every moment of pain and every act of love is redeemed for something far greater than fairness could ever offer.
Note: The video clip from Les Miserables used in the original service is copyrighted and could not be included in this podcast recording.
In this inspiring message, we are reminded that generosity isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s part of God’s design for human flourishing. From the laws of Moses to the life of Jesus and the early church, we see that God hardwired generosity into His plan for healing relationships, communities, and even nations.
Through powerful stories from the streets of Nepal to the villages of Uganda and the everyday generosity happening within our own church we are invited to live with open hands and courageous hearts. True generosity isn’t reckless giving; it’s confidence in who we are and in the God who provides.
This episode challenges us to see generosity as more than a transaction, it’s a transformation. When we live with open hearts and let God’s love flow through us, we become part of His story of renewal, justice, and hope in the world.
In this powerful and heartfelt message, Pastor Sam reminds us that life was never meant to be lived all at once. When we try to carry tomorrow’s worries or dwell on yesterday’s regrets, we miss the beauty of what God is doing right now. Drawing from Scripture, he challenges us to slow down, trust God’s timing, and take life one day at a time.
Through personal stories of faith, forgiveness, and transformation, Sam shares how surrendering control opens the door for peace and freedom. Whether it’s breaking free from anxiety, learning to forgive, or simply choosing gratitude for today, this message will inspire you to live in the moment with God’s strength.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the future or burdened by the past, this episode is a timely reminder that God is in both but He meets you in the now.
Have you ever realized your faith is running on autopilot? In this powerful message, Bev encourages us to move beyond routine Christianity and rediscover the life-giving relationship Jesus offers. Too often we live like people storing stale water in cracked cisterns—doing the right things but disconnected from the source of life.
Through vivid imagery from Scripture, Bev reminds us that Jesus calls us to come and drink deeply from the living water He freely gives. When we draw from Him daily, His Spirit flows through us like a fountain. Refreshing, renewing, and bringing hope to others.
This episode is a heartfelt invitation to stop striving, to stop trying to “be good enough,” and simply plug back into the source.
Whether you’ve felt spiritually dry, distracted, or disconnected, this message will remind you that it’s never too late to come back to the well and let the living water flow again.
In this message, David Ritchie invites us to see life through the lens of God’s generosity rather than scarcity. Using Jesus’ parable of the rich fool, he challenges the idea that success is about gaining more for ourselves. Life isn’t a zero sum game where someone must lose for another to win. It is an invitation to live with open hands and generous hearts.
Through personal stories from his years in ministry and mission work, David shares how God’s kindness multiplies when we trust Him with our resources, fears, and worries. He reminds us that anxiety about the future adds nothing to our lives, but generosity toward God and others brings lasting joy and eternal reward.
If you’ve ever struggled with fear, control, or the feeling that you might lose by giving too much, this message will help you rediscover the freedom of living with faith and gratitude, letting the river of God’s generosity flow through you.
In this message, Pastor Stu Brown continues the series Let the River Flow with a challenge to let God do a deep work in our hearts. He reminds us that true community begins with honesty before God and one another, not hiding behind busyness or surface-level connection.
Drawing from Psalm 139, Stu encourages us to pray, “Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Like tidying a messy house, we need to bring everything into the light resentments, pride, addictions, hidden struggles and allow God to show us what needs to be surrendered.
This is not about shame or endless self-criticism but about freedom. When we confess specifically and honestly, God’s grace meets us with healing, and His Spirit flows through us to others.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, weighed down, or far from God, this message will help you take courageous steps toward honesty, surrender, and the fullness of life Jesus promises.
Richmond Wandera grew up in Uganda, where tragedy and poverty shaped his childhood. After his father was murdered, his family was forced into the slums of Naguru. At just eight years old, Richmond faced hunger, loss, and the fear of invisibility that poverty brings. But everything changed when a 15 year old girl on the other side of the world chose to sponsor him.
That simple decision gave Richmond access to food, education and hope. It not only lifted him out of poverty but also transformed generations in his family. Today he leads pastors, trains leaders, and helps thousands of children find freedom and faith through Christ.
This powerful message is not just about survival but about redemption. Richmond shares how God rewrites broken stories and invites us to join in His work of restoration. If you have ever wondered whether one life can make a difference, this story will inspire you to see how small acts of faith can change the world.
In this message we are invited to discover what it really means to surrender to God. Too often we try to control our lives, clinging to our own plans and strength, but Jesus shows us a better way. Just as a seed must fall to the ground and die before it produces fruit, we are called to die to our self-centeredness and trust the One who loves us completely.
This is not weakness or passivity. True surrender is an act of courage and faith. It means letting go of the blind spots, pride, and striving that hold us back, and finding new life in God’s Spirit. As we learn to surrender daily, we begin to see His love flow through us, bringing peace, joy, kindness, and hope into the world around us.
If you long for freedom from the pressure to control everything, this message will encourage you to open your hands, lay down your burdens, and discover the life Jesus promises to all who follow Him.
In this Father’s Day message we look at what it really means to be a good father. This is not just about raising children but also about mentoring and guiding others with love and wisdom. Too often the role of fathers is pushed to the side, yet the Bible shows us how important fathers are in shaping lives and building faith.
Through the story of Moses, who grew up without a strong father figure, we see how he became the first to call God “Father.” We discover that God reveals Himself not only through His power and provision but also through His compassion, mercy, and grace.
This episode encourages dads, grandfathers, and mentors to model the heart of God in everyday life. You will be inspired to see God as the ultimate Father and to reflect His character by leading with compassion, showing kindness, and pointing others toward His goodness.
In this powerful message, Pastor John reminds us that life is filled with moments when we feel like saying, “I can’t” or “I won’t.” Whether it’s the weight of hurts, habits, or hang-ups, we often hit the limits of our own strength. But Scripture points us to a greater truth. “But God.”
Through humor, storytelling, and biblical insight, John explores how God meets us in weakness and turns our “but I” excuses into “but God” testimonies. From Paul’s struggles in Romans to Joseph’s long journey of betrayal and redemption, we see how God’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness.
This episode will encourage you to stop striving in your own strength and instead embrace the transforming power of God’s presence.
If you’ve ever wrestled with doubt, discouragement, or the feeling that you don’t have what it takes, this message will remind you that hope and victory come not from ourselves, but from the God who redeems, restores, and sustains.
In this inspiring episode, Seek Peace, we hear from John and Kay as they share powerful stories of faith, reconciliation, and the call to live as peacemakers in today’s world. Drawing from their ministry experiences in Nigeria, Lebanon, Kenya, and the UK, they reveal how the Gospel transforms conflict into hope and division into unity.
Through personal testimony and Scripture, John and Kay explore what it means to embody biblical shalom—peace that is more than the absence of violence, but the flourishing of relationships rooted in Christ. From rebuilding communities torn by conflict to equipping churches for reconciliation, they highlight how God calls each believer to step into the role of peacemaker.
Whether you’re facing broken relationships, struggling to forgive, or seeking to understand Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” this episode will encourage and challenge you. Be inspired to embrace everyday peace building and trust God to turn brokenness into beauty.
In this episode Ps Sue Irwin begins our new series Let The River Flow with a heartfelt and powerful message about God’s healing presence.
She shares from Scripture and everyday stories to show how admitting our weaknesses opens the way for the Holy Spirit to move in us. Sue encourages us to stop relying on our own strength and instead allow God’s love to flow through our lives bringing hope healing and transformation.
This is more than just a message, it is an invitation to clear away the barriers in our hearts and experience the life-giving river of God.
In this powerful episode, Mindy Caliguire from Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, unpacks the vital importance of soul care in our fast-paced, demanding world.
Drawing from personal stories, Scripture, and her own journey through burnout, Mindy shares practical and heartfelt wisdom for staying connected to God, replenishing our inner reserves, and living from a place of overflow.
With warmth, humor, and deep insight, she invites listeners to slow down, embrace healing, and discover the life-giving “streams of living water” Jesus offers.
This conversation will inspire you to care for your soul and embody a peace that impacts the world.
Ps Sue Irwin wraps up our Holy Spirit series with a powerful and deeply personal message about making room for God in our everyday lives.
She reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not just a comforter or helper but God Himself living within us.
Through scripture, reflection, and honest examples, Sue encourages us to clear out the distractions and baggage that can quench the Spirit.
We’re invited to respond with joy, prayer, and gratitude, creating space in our hearts where God’s presence can move freely and transform us from the inside out.
In this message, Ps Stu Brown continues our Holy Spirit series by exploring how we can hear and respond to the Spirit in our everyday lives.
Using scripture, real-life stories, and practical encouragement, Stu reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not distant or mysterious. He is present, personal, and actively speaking.
The Spirit brings hope, guidance, healing, and power, and He wants to move both in us and through us for the sake of others.
This message is a fresh invitation to wake up to His voice, lean into His leading, and live fully alive in step with the Spirit.
David Ritchie brings a thoughtful and encouraging message as we continue our Holy Spirit series.
Speaking from Romans 8, he reminds us that we can live with confidence in our relationship with God, not because we have everything together but because of what Jesus has done.
With honesty and warmth, David shares how the Holy Spirit brings reassurance in our doubts, lifts us when we are struggling, and helps us grow in faith.
This message is a reminder that the Spirit is always present, always working, and always pointing us back to the love and grace of God.
In this message from Ps Sue Irwin who is continuing with our Holy Spirit series where we look at how worship helps us stay connected to God and filled with His Spirit.
Sue unpacks Ephesians 5 and shows how singing together is more than just music. It is a way to experience God’s presence, build each other up, and speak truth over our lives. Whether it is through psalms, hymns, or heartfelt songs, worship invites the Holy Spirit to move in us and through us.
This message is a warm and powerful reminder of how worship shapes our faith and strengthens our community.
In this special NAIDOC Week message, guest speaker Jonathan Lilley shares a powerful word on the upside down nature of God's kingdom.
A proud Warrami man and sixth-generation Christian, Jonathan weaves personal stories, scripture, and cultural wisdom to highlight the hope and justice Jesus brings.
From Isaiah to Mark, he unpacks how Christ came to empower the marginalized, uplift the broken, and invite all people into restoration.
With honesty and grace, Jonathan challenges us to listen deeply, act with compassion, and follow the King who brings true change.
This is a timely and moving message of faith, reconciliation, and hope.
In this message, Ps Sue Irwin continues our Holy Spirit series with a focus on healing and the powerful presence of God in both miraculous and everyday moments.
Through a combination of scripture, personal stories, and honest reflection, Sue reminds us that healing is a sign of the Kingdom breaking into our world. While we may not always understand God’s timing or outcomes, we’re invited to partner with the Holy Spirit, grow in faith, and trust that hope is not distant...it is present.
Whether you need physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, this message encourages you to keep believing and keep moving toward Jesus.
In this message, Rachel Baker continues our Holy Spirit series with a powerful reminder that encountering God isn’t limited to big emotional moments.
Sharing from scripture and personal experience, Rachel unpacks how the Spirit works just as powerfully in the quiet everyday parts of our lives.
The Holy Spirit lives within us and invites us into daily transformation, shaping our character, producing fruit like love, patience and kindness, and empowering us to reflect God’s heart to others.
This is a thoughtful and encouraging message for anyone wanting to move beyond moments and into a Spirit led life that is consistent and life changing.
Asher Morrison continues our Holy Spirit series with a thoughtful message on how we hear God's voice through the Spirit. Drawing from personal stories, scripture, and honest reflection, Asher reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not just a rare visitor but the constant presence of Jesus with us and within us.
He shares how the Spirit speaks through scripture, in community, and often when we slow down and wait.
This message encourages us to make room in our lives to listen and respond to the Spirit’s leading, especially in the everyday moments that shape who we are becoming.
In this powerful continuation of our Holy Spirit series, John Crawford dives into how the Spirit leads us into truth and freedom by confronting the strongholds that keep us stuck.
Through honest teaching and personal reflection, John explores how spiritual strongholds—deep-rooted patterns of thought shaped by lies—can hold us back from growth.
But the good news is clear: the Holy Spirit partners with us to demolish those lies and replace them with God's truth.
This message is an invitation to healing, freedom, and a renewed journey with Jesus. Say yes to what the Spirit wants to do in and through you.
In the first message of our new Holy Spirit series, Ps Sue Irwin speaks on Pentecost Sunday about the transformative power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Tracing Jesus' promises and the outpouring at Pentecost, Sue invites us into a deeper understanding of the Spirit as our advocate, helper, and constant companion.
Through practical teaching and heartfelt reflection, she encourages us to let go of bitterness, embrace love, and live empowered by the Spirit’s presence.
This message is a call to step into the divine flow of love within the Trinity and be filled afresh today.
In this opening PM message of our new Holy Spirit series, John Crawford introduces us to the often-overlooked third person of the Trinity.
Speaking on Pentecost Sunday, John shares from personal experience and scripture, inviting us to rediscover the Holy Spirit as our advocate, comforter, and guide.
Through stories, biblical insight, and prayer, this message encourages us to welcome the Spirit’s transforming presence in every part of our lives.
Whether you're new to faith or have followed Jesus for years, this is an invitation to be filled afresh and live empowered by the Spirit each day.
Ever expected something to work out perfectly—and it totally flopped? From burnt dinners to upside-down wallpaper, this episode gets real about disappointment, dashed dreams, and what we do when life doesn’t look like we hoped.
But it’s not all bad news. We dive into the story of Jesus’ followers, how they handled letdowns, and how God is still working even when things feel off track.
If your life’s taken a few zigzags lately, this one’s for you.
Because faith isn’t about perfect outcomes—it’s about walking the long road with a God who’s not done yet.
In the final message of the Great Expectations series, John Crawford brings an encouraging and challenging word on seeing obstacles as opportunities.
Through personal stories, biblical insight, and the example of the Apostle Paul, John reminds us that our setbacks can be doorways to deeper faith and greater purpose.
Whether we’re facing unexpected hardship or being called to step out in boldness, we’re invited to trust God’s goodness and respond with courage.
This message will inspire you to expect more from God and attempt more for Him as you walk by faith and grow in your relationship with Jesus.
*Please note: Due to copyright restrictions, the audio from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade shown during the recording of the sermon is not included in this podcast episode.
Ps Sue Irwin shares a heartfelt message in the Great Expectations series, inviting us to reflect on a simple but powerful question: Who am I becoming?
Drawing from personal stories, scripture, and the image of Jesus as the true vine, she encourages us to see life’s challenges and questions as part of our growth. It’s a reminder to stay connected to God, let Him shape who we are, and trust that we are His masterpiece, created with purpose.
This episode offers encouragement, fresh perspective, and hope for anyone on a journey of spiritual transformation.
Let’s be honest—life rarely goes the way we expect.
Whether it’s family chaos, vomit on planes, or spiritual setbacks, this episode with Ps Stu Brown gets real about disappointment, faith, and learning to trust God anyway.
With a few laughs, some heartfelt stories, and a couple of boat trips (yes, there are boats), we’re reminded that faith isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about trusting the One who does.
If you’ve been fighting your battles solo or stuck in the natural, this one’s your sign to lean in, lift your expectations, and believe again.
Ever sung “I’m no longer a slave to fear” and then woken up anxious the next morning? Same.
In this real and practical message, Ps Sue Irwin unpacks why there’s often a gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live.
It’s all about getting the basics right, letting God's Word take root, and learning to do something with it.
Whether you're brand new to faith or have been around a while, this episode is a refreshing reminder that God’s Word isn’t just something to read, it’s something to live and build your life on.
*This episode features audio from the YouTube video “Never Get Bored With The Basics”. Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi5KED3gLJo
Nobody has it all together, and thankfully, we don’t have to. In this fun and honest message, David Ritchie shares what it means to follow Jesus with your L plates still on.
From learning to drive at age four (yes, really) to the rollercoaster life of Peter, this episode is all about embracing the journey, not perfection.
Whether you're new to faith, coming back, or just figuring it out as you go, this is a reminder that following Jesus is less about getting it right and more about sticking with Him.
Mother’s Day isn’t always chocolates and flowers. Sometimes it’s grief, joy, awkward hugs, and deep reflection—all rolled into one. In this honest and hope-filled message, today's speaker Adrian Smith unpacks what it means to honour others, ourselves, and God—especially when life feels like a jumble of highs and lows.
With raw vulnerability and a few laughs, we explore how to show up in the present, embrace our whole story (even the messy parts), and walk with purpose.
This episode is a reminder that honour isn’t about perfection—it’s about seeing the sacred in every part of the journey.
This special Mother’s Day episode isn’t just for Mums—it’s for anyone who cares about kids (or was one once!).
We dive into how Jesus saw children: not as distractions, but as VIPs in the kingdom of God. With laughs, stories, and honest reflection, we explore why kids matter so much in our faith communities and what we adults can actually learn from them.
Whether you’re a mum, dad, mentor, teacher, or just someone who wants to love better, this one’s for you.
Spoiler: Jesus was totally the kind of guy kids wanted to hang out with.
What if your everyday life—the chaos, the interruptions, the tough people—was exactly where God wanted to show up?
In this episode, Ps Sue kicks off a new series called Great Expectations.
Through honest stories, practical reflection, and a bit of humor, we’ll challenge how we see our problems (spoiler: they might actually be opportunities).
It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about trusting the One who does.
Grab a pen, grab a moment, and get ready to raise your expectations about what’s possible with God.
Let’s be real—Easter Sunday is way more than chocolate and tradition.
It’s a day that messes with what we think we believe.
In this episode, we dig into the resurrection story, explore the difference between head knowledge and deep, soul-level belief, and ask the big question: what do you actually put your trust in?
You’ll hear how Jesus met people in their confusion, fear, and doubt—not with judgment, but with peace.
If you’ve ever felt unsure in your faith or stuck between hope and reality, this one’s for you.
There’s more going on than meets the eye.
This Good Friday, we slow down and look at the cross like never before. In this powerful episode, we explore how Jesus becomes our Rosetta Stone—the one who helps us finally understand what God is really like.
It’s real, raw, and honest about the fears we carry, the questions we all ask (like, “Am I really loved?”), and how every single one of them finds an answer in Jesus.
If you’ve ever struggled to make sense of faith, suffering, or your own worth—this is one for you.
No pressure, just come as you are.
In the final week of Join The Revolution, Vicki Cosgrove flips the script on what real change looks like. No riots. No rulers overthrown.
Just one man—Jesus—changing lives with love, grace, and peace.
In this episode, we’re talking about messy people, real transformation, and what it means to actually live like a new creation. If you’ve ever felt like you had to have it all together, this one’s for you.
Let’s ditch the pressure, drop the rules, and step into a life of radical peace, powered by the Spirit.
Spoiler: you were made for this.
In the concluding week of Join The Revolution, Ps John Crawford shares a powerful reflection on Jesus’ radical love for the outcast.
Centered around the Samaritan woman at the well, this episode explores how one encounter with Jesus can restore dignity, rewrite destinies, and spark revival in an entire community. With honesty, warmth, and a call to action, John reminds us that no one is too far gone and that everyone we lock eyes with matters to God.
Whether you feel like the outlier or the inviter, this revolution of peace is your invitation to come—and see.
In the lead-up to Easter, Ps Sue Irwin invites you to Join The Revolution—a powerful two-week journey into the heart of Jesus’ revolution of peace.
Through compelling stories, biblical insight, and the transformative tale of Zacchaeus, discover how God calls ordinary, imperfect people into lives of healing, honesty, and radical generosity. This series challenges listeners to lay down pride, embrace grace, and be part of a movement that brings peace, justice, and love to a broken world.
Let this message stir your spirit and reignite your purpose as you prepare your heart for Easter.
In this powerful finale to Vision Month 2025, Ps Tim O’Neil shares a heartfelt and challenging message about what it truly means to follow Jesus.
One For Another unpacks the radical love of Christ and our calling to love others with the same selfless, transformative grace.
Through personal stories, biblical insight, and a stirring call to action, this episode invites every listener to step deeper into discipleship—being with Jesus, becoming like Him, and doing what He does.
Be inspired to live a life of love, purpose, and impact through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Join renowned preacher and theologian Con Campbell as he unpacks the profound truth of spiritual transformation through Christ.
Using compelling storytelling and biblical insight, this podcast explores how we move from being spiritually dead—like zombies—to fully alive in Jesus.
Through deep dives into scripture, relatable analogies, and thought-provoking discussions, Con challenges listeners to embrace God’s grace, walk in their true identity, and live out the good works prepared for them.
Whether you're exploring faith or seeking deeper understanding, this podcast will inspire and equip you on your spiritual journey.
In Week 3 of Vision Month 2025, Ps Stu Brown delivers a powerful message on One With Each Other, exploring what it truly means to live in unity as the body of Christ.
Drawing from Jesus’ heartfelt prayer in John 17 and the early church in Acts, he challenges us to move beyond surface-level connections into deep, authentic community. How can we support, serve, and stand by one another as brothers and sisters in Christ?
This message will inspire you to embrace humility, forgiveness, and love in your relationships.
Tune in and discover the beauty of true unity!
In Week 2 of Vision Month 2025, Ps Sue Irwin shares a powerful message titled One With Christ, exploring how true transformation begins with being united with Him.
When we are one with Christ, love flows naturally into our relationships and purpose. Through scripture, real-life stories, and deep reflections, Ps Sue challenges us to move beyond simply knowing about God's love to truly experiencing it.
Are you living in performance and image management, or are you fully known and fully loved?
This message will inspire you to rely on God’s love as the source of strength and identity.
Welcome to Week 1 of Vision Month 2025 where Ps Sue Irwin launches the journey of discovering how we can bring heaven to earth in our daily lives.
Exploring the theme of "One with Christ, One with Each Other, and One for Another," she unpacks how true transformation starts when we surrender to God’s love and allow His Spirit to flow through us.
Using powerful biblical imagery, she challenges us to step into God’s vision, embrace humility, and become vessels of His grace.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into your faith and purpose, this episode will ignite your heart for what’s ahead!
In this final message of the series, Ps Sue Irwin unpacks the deep, life-changing invitation Jesus extends—to not only receive His love but to be His friend.
Through powerful scripture, personal reflections, and thought-provoking discussions, she challenges us to move beyond seeing faith as a transaction and embrace a relationship built on love, trust, and mission.
Discover how abiding in Jesus transforms our hearts, leads us to deeper joy, and equips us to share His love with the world.
If you long for a closer walk with God, this episode will inspire and challenge you like never before.
In this heartfelt episode, Bev Murrill explores the depth and beauty of true friendship, emphasising that the best friendships are reciprocal.
Drawing from personal stories, biblical wisdom, and reflections on life’s meaningful connections, Bev unpacks how genuine friendships require mutual giving—not tit-for-tat, but heartfelt investment.
She also highlights the ultimate friendship with Jesus, who remains constant even when we fall short. Bev’s honest insights will inspire you to reflect on your own relationships, deepen your connection with God, and embrace the joy of friendships rooted in love, commitment, and grace.
This episode is a soul-stirring reminder of what true friendship means.
In this heartfelt episode, Asher Morrison explores the profound impact of friendship—both with God and with one another.
Drawing from John 15, Asher highlights how we are designed for deep, meaningful connections rooted in closeness and commitment.
Through relatable stories, reflections on pop culture, and biblical wisdom, he unpacks how friendship reflects God’s love, fosters personal growth, and brings healing to loneliness.
Whether you’re navigating relationships, seeking spiritual connection, or longing for deeper community, this episode will inspire you to embrace the friendships you were created for, starting with the ultimate friendship found in Christ.
In this powerful episode, Ps Sue Irwin explores what it truly means to be a friend of God and how experiencing His love transforms the way we love others.
Through scripture, thought-provoking insights, and real-life applications, she unpacks the difference between human-made laws and the boundless grace of God.
Discover how embracing God’s kindness, forgiveness, and identity for you can break down fear, heal relationships, and empower you to love beyond limits.
If you’ve ever struggled with self-worth, forgiveness, or showing grace, this message will inspire you to live fully in God’s love and extend it to others.
In this powerful episode, Ryan Vallee explores the role of prayer in evangelism and how we can prepare for a season of spiritual harvest.
Through inspiring testimonies, biblical insights, and the impact of Alpha, he shares how God is already at work in people's lives, inviting us to join Him in the mission. Learn how to step out in faith, trust in the Holy Spirit, and boldly invite others to explore Jesus.
If you’re ready to see lives transformed and be part of God’s movement, this episode will equip and encourage you to pray, invite, and step into action.
In this inspiring episode, we explore the power of a simple invitation—“Come and See.” Featuring Ryan Vallee from Alpha Australia, we dive into how sharing faith doesn’t require perfect words or deep theological knowledge, but a willingness to invite others to explore Jesus for themselves.
Through real-life testimonies and insights, we uncover how God is already at work in the lives of those around us, and how small acts of invitation can transform lives.
If you’ve ever wondered how to share your faith effectively, this episode will encourage and equip you to take that first step with confidence.
In this deeply reflective episode, Ps Sue explore's how to partner with God through prayer and embrace the truth that He works all things together for good.
Drawing from Romans 8 and personal stories, we uncover how to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, transform our thinking, and deepen our trust in God's love.
Whether you're wrestling with doubts, facing difficult circumstances, or simply longing to connect with God's purpose, this episode provides profound encouragement.
Learn how to release your fears, embrace vulnerability in prayer, and discover God’s beautiful plans for your life and the world.
In this transformative episode, Josh Irwin explores what it truly means to live as a child of God.
Through personal stories, reflections on scripture from Romans 8, and heartfelt insights, we uncover the profound truth of being adopted into God’s family.
Discover how God’s love shapes your identity, renews your mind, and frees you from fear and condemnation. Perfect for anyone longing to deepen their understanding of God’s love, this episode is an invitation to see yourself as God sees you.
Be encouraged to embrace your identity, experience His peace, and live in the fullness of His promises.
In this heartfelt episode, Ps Stu Brown reflects on the challenges of waiting and how God works through seasons of uncertainty to transform our thinking and deepen our faith.
Drawing from personal experiences and powerful scripture, we explore what it means to trust in God’s higher plans, even in moments of loss and frustration.
Through insights on renewing the mind, embracing hope, and finding beauty in the waiting, this episode encourages listeners to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and perspective.
If you’re seeking encouragement to navigate life’s storms, this episode offers profound hope and inspiration.
In this powerful episode, Ps Rachel Baker explores what it truly means to live out love in action by aligning our core convictions with God’s truth.
Through personal stories, scripture from Romans 12, and inspiring examples, we tackle challenging principles such as blessing those who hurt us, rejoicing with others, and humbling ourselves to serve those in need.
This episode invites deep reflection and offers practical steps to transform how we see and respond to the world.
If you’re ready to develop a heart that mirrors Christ’s love and grace, this message will inspire and guide your journey.
Explore how to align your actions with your beliefs in this reflective episode brought by David Ritchie.
Through personal stories, scripture from Romans 12, and practical insights, David uncovers the gap between what we profess and how we live, addressing the struggles and triumphs of living out core convictions.
Learn how to bless those who challenge you, embrace God’s love and justice, and navigate the journey of transforming deeply ingrained false beliefs.
Whether you're wrestling with difficult relationships or seeking a deeper connection with God, this episode provides encouragement, tools, and hope for growing into the person you’re called to be.
In this transformative episode as we start 2025, Ps Sue delves into the power of aligning our thoughts with God’s truth to experience an abundant life.
Drawing from Romans 8 and 12, Ps Sue explores the journey from surface-level beliefs to core convictions that shape how we see ourselves, others, and God.
Through practical tools and profound insights, you’ll learn how to break free from the world of condemnation and embrace a life of peace and joy.
This week's podcast is perfect for anyone seeking to deepen their faith, confront inner doubts, and live with renewed purpose, this episode invites you to surrender and let the Holy Spirit transform your mind.
In the final podcast for 2024, Ps Sue explores what it means to rise above life’s storms and live in the unchanging light of God’s presence.
Through reflections on faith, scripture, and personal stories, we delve into how to navigate life’s challenges with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Discover how surrendering your fears, desires, and troubles to God allows you to live in victory, no matter the circumstances.
Perfect for anyone seeking deeper peace and a renewed perspective, this episode will inspire you to set your mind on things above and experience the transformative power of God’s love.
Join Ps Sue Irwin as she unpacks the profound message of “Being Present to the Presence in the Present.”
This inspiring podcast reflects on key scriptures, such as the angel Gabriel’s assurance to Mary in Luke 1 and Jesus’ promise in Matthew 7:7-8.
Through this reflective journey, listeners are invited to embrace the peace, purpose, and divine assurance of God’s presence in every moment.
This podcast is perfect for those seeking encouragement and deeper spiritual connection, this series reminds us that with God, all things are possible.
Discover hope and renewal as you tune into this heartfelt message of faith and grace.
In this compelling Christmas episode, Adrian Smith challenges us to move beyond holiday traditions and into deep reflection on life’s most profound questions.
What do you truly want? What do you need? And what does your soul crave?
Through the lens of the shepherds’ story in Luke 2 and the hope found in Jesus, Adrian explores how the birth of Christ meets our deepest needs and transforms our lives.
Whether you’re seeking purpose, peace, or renewal, this episode invites you to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas and embrace the eternal hope found in God’s greatest gift.
In this heartfelt episode, Asher Morrison reflects on the angels' proclamation of peace to shepherds over 2,000 years ago.
Discover the depth of God's peace—an eternal, transformative presence that transcends circumstances, heals relationships, and restores our connection with Him.
Through stories, scripture, and reflections, we explore how peace is not just a sentiment but a profound reality made possible through Jesus.
Join us in the first message of our Advent Challenge titled "Heaven Came To Earth" as we find out how God’s favor rests on all who embrace His love and how true peace begins with a relationship with Him.
Let’s journey toward lasting peace together.
Ps Sue dives into the heart of Christmas and what it truly means to experience the transformative love of God.
Through reflections on prayer, the story of John the Baptist, and Jesus’ arrival as Emmanuel, we explore how a softened heart allows us to receive God’s love and extend it to others.
Learn how to let go of shame, embrace God’s presence, and partner with Him to bring light into the world.
Perfect for anyone seeking to deepen their faith and relationships, this episode will inspire you to live with purpose, grace, and unconditional love this Christmas season.
Dive into this thought-provoking episode as Ps Sue explores how God’s light transforms chaos into creation and darkness into hope.
Reflecting on John’s Gospel, we unpack how often we miss God’s work in our lives because it doesn’t align with our expectations.
Through real-life stories and scriptural insights, discover the humility and power of a God who became visible in Jesus, offering unfailing love and faithfulness.
This message is great for those seeking clarity in confusion or hope in disappointment, this episode will inspire you to look for God’s presence in unexpected places and reveal His light through love and grace to others.
Discover how embracing life's challenges with faith can lead to profound transformation.
In this episode with Bev Murrill as she explores the story of Joseph and the trials that shaped him into a leader, illustrating how adversity is a divine tool for growth.
Learn why moments of pain and uncertainty are not just struggles but opportunities to develop strength, wisdom, and deeper trust in God.
Todays message is perfect for anyone seeking encouragement in tough times, this episode will inspire you to let your spirit prevail over emotions and embrace your journey with courage and faith. Join us for a powerful message of hope and resilience.
In this episode, Ps Sue delves into the transformative power of aligning our lives with eternal values amidst the chaos of modern existence.
Drawing inspiration from biblical passages and personal stories, Ps Sue explores what it means to love deeply, live purposefully, and trust fully in God’s plan.
Discover the strength that comes from spiritual renewal even as physical challenges arise, and uncover practical steps to navigate the tension between present struggles and eternal hope. Perfect for anyone seeking clarity, encouragement, and a deeper connection to their faith journey.
Join Josh Irwin as he explores the unseen spiritual battle that impacts our lives daily.
In this weeks AM message, Josh dives into the clash between the kingdom of light and the dominion of darkness, offering practical ways to stand firm against deception, fear, and isolation. Through stories and scripture, discover how living with an 'opposite spirit'—one of love, kindness, and encouragement—can transform our challenges.
This podcast is perfect for anyone seeking resilience and faith in tough times, this message inspires listeners to embrace community, stay rooted in God’s promises, and become agents of light in a dark world.
Tune in for an empowering and uplifting episode!
Join Asher Morrison as he explores the profound reality of God's unwavering presence, even when unseen.
This episode delves into stories and biblical references, illustrating that God is always with us—whether in moments of awe or times of deep struggle. Learn how Jesus, as our ultimate champion, mirrors God’s powerful declaration to Moses, 'I am,' stepping forward in our darkest times to offer hope and strength.
Whether you feel His presence or not, this episode will remind you that God is beside you, providing comfort and resilience through life’s challenges.
Tune in for an uplifting message of faith, assurance, and divine companionship
Join John Crawford in this weeks PM message as he explores how to move beyond personality-driven perspectives, like the "glass half full or empty," to find a deeper, spiritual peace.
Through engaging stories and insights, we dive into how focusing on what is unseen can transform our response to life's challenges. With reflections on faith, trust, and finding comfort in the bigger picture, this message offers encouragement to anyone seeking peace amid anxiety and uncertainty.
Whether you're an optimist, pessimist, or somewhere in between, there’s a new perspective waiting for you here.
Join Ps Sue Irwin as she delves into the next topic title "Fix Your Eyes On The Unseen".
In this episode, Sue explores the hidden spiritual forces shaping our lives and how faith in Jesus provides a foundation to face life’s visible and invisible challenges.
Through relatable stories and scriptural insights, discover how embracing the spiritual world can transform your understanding of daily struggles and relationships.
Perfect for anyone seeking a deeper connection to the divine and practical guidance on living with spiritual awareness.
Tune in for an inspiring journey into faith, resilience, and the unseen."
In "The Power of Words," Ps Sam Paul Pilli explores the profound impact our words can have on ourselves and others.
Drawing from bible teaching and personal stories, Sam emphasizes that words possess the ability to build up or tear down, give life or bring harm.
Through the story of the centurion in Luke 7:2-10, he illustrates the faith and authority conveyed through spoken words, highlighting their spiritual significance.
This message challenges us to be mindful of our speech, using it to inspire, uplift, and reflect God's love. Tune in for an insightful and transformative message on the power of our words.
In this episode titled "Why Faith," guest speaker Dan Patterson from Question Christianity dives into the importance and foundation of faith in our lives. Drawing from powerful biblical teachings, this message explores why faith is essential in navigating life’s challenges and uncertainties.
Through relatable examples and practical insights, this sermon encourages listeners to embrace faith not just as a belief, but as a way of living. Whether you’re struggling with doubt or seeking a deeper connection with God, this message will inspire and strengthen your faith journey. Tune in to discover how faith can transform your life and help you walk confidently through all seasons.
*Dan also leads a Q+A at the conclusion of his message with questions sent in from people who were attending the PM service who want to know more about Christianity
In this weeks AM message given by guest speaker David Deane from Questioning Christianity titled "Why Suffering," David explores one of life's most challenging questions: why does suffering exist?
Drawing from biblical teachings and personal insights, David delves into the complexity of pain and hardship in a world governed by a loving God.
Through scripture and reflection, David reminds us that even in the midst of suffering, God's presence remains steadfast, offering hope and redemption.
Tune in to hear this profound and thought-provoking message that encourages us to face suffering with faith, trusting in God's greater plan.
Bev Murrill starts our new topic "Immeasurably More" with a message titled "Close Encounters of Faith" where she explores the supernatural longing within us for something beyond the physical senses—our desire for what we cannot explain.
Through powerful stories from 1 Kings 17 and 18, Bev teaches us how God’s plans unfold, even when we don't fully understand them.
She uses Elijah as an example in her message as she looks at Elijah's journey and God's miraculous provision, reminding us that we are part of God's greater plan, as Ephesians 2:10 affirms.
Join us for an inspiring message about trusting in God's divine purpose and encountering His faithfulness in unexpected ways. Don't miss this faith-filled encounter!
In the final message of our series "Are You Coming To The Party," Adrian Smith brings a message to remind us of an important truth: we are not God.
We often try to control our lives on our own terms, but the Parable of the Lost Son shows us that we embody both sons.
Adrian dives into how we tend to act like the youngest son, demanding what we want, only to waste the opportunities given to us—whether it's money, time, or blessings.
In the story, God is the Father and no matter how many times we come back for forgiveness from God, he will run to us and give us a hug just like in the Parable
Join us for this powerful conclusion, challenging us to surrender control and embrace the Father's grace and wisdom in our lives.
In the final sermon on "Are You Coming To The Party", Grainery Young Adults Pastor Rachel Baker brings a message with a unique twist as we look at the definition of a party but from a wedding point of view.
Rachel brings a inspired message mixed with personal stories of when she got married and how it is one of the best memories in her personal life
As we end our current topic of "Are You Coming To The Party", Dave Ritchie looks at how important a banquet is.
In life, we know that banquets can be a few things:
In this weeks sermon given by Bev Murrill titled "The Lavish Love of the Father", she explores the boundless grace and forgiveness of God, just like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son.
Whether we stray like the younger son or struggle with pride like the elder, God’s love remains constant and unconditional.
Through powerful insights from Romans 8:30-39 and Luke 15:25-32, this message reminds us that no matter how we "act up," God is always ready to welcome us back with open arms.
Don’t miss this inspiring and hope-filled sermon that will encourage you to experience the overwhelming love and forgiveness of the Father.
This week we have guest speaker Tim Costello who is the former CEO of World Vision, former St Kilda Mayor, former President of Baptist Union of Australia and currently the Executive Director of Micah Australia come and speak on how we should as Christians be looking after those in need especially those who are in extreme poverty around the world.
In "The Three Parables," Ps Sue Irwin continues our exploration of Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God," focusing on how God uses the relationship between brothers in biblical stories to reveal profound truths. Drawing from Luke 15:1-10, Sue delves into the dynamics of the brothers in the Prodigal Son parable, as well as the story of Cain and Abel. She explains, in simple terms, what it means to be an "older brother" or "younger brother" in today's world.
Join us for an enlightening message that uncovers the deeper meaning behind these sibling relationships and what they teach us about God's love.
In this week's AM message, Asher Morrison brings a heartfelt message as we continue exploring Tim Keller's book, "The Prodigal God."
Diving deeper into the story of the Prodigal Son, Asher shares personal stories about organizing parties and how they have changed over the years, drawing parallels to God's invitation to His celebration of grace. He challenges us to consider whether we truly feel welcome at the Father's table and how our perceptions of worthiness might hold us back.
Join us for an inspiring and relatable message that invites all to embrace God's open invitation.
Asher Morrison speaks at the Fathers Day Day PM service with a message based around mental health as male from a psychologist point of view. He looks at the way we have handled our mental health over the past generations to now and how we can improve our mental health as a male
Ross Pene who is the Founding Direcotr of Connecting People to Change comes and explains how he is a father to those who have comes from the prison and want to change their life for the better.
Fathers Day isn't just for fathers of sons and daughters. Fathers Day are for those who work as an "unofficial" father to people whether they are looking after someone who comes from the next generation to a role model.
Sue Irwin comes with a question for us all...What Does Found Look Like?
We continue our journey through the Parable of the Lost Son as she explains the objects that the Father uses on the son who was found and backs them with verses from the bible.
In "Redefining Lostness," John Crawford continues our journey through The Parable of the Lost Son, revealing how we embody both sons in the story.
He explores the ways in which we, like the prodigal and the elder brother, can find ourselves lost—whether through rebellion or self-righteousness.
John emphasizes that God, as the loving Father in the parable, is always ready to welcome us back, no matter how far we've strayed.
Through this message, you'll discover the profound truth that, despite our lostness, we are always found through the grace and love of God.
Join us for an enlightening and heartwarming exploration of this timeless parable.
In "The Parable of The Two Lost Sons," Ps Sue Irwin offers a profound reflection on the story of the prodigal son, examining the roles of both sons and their relationship with the Father.
Through Luke 15:29, Romans 8:31-35, Luke 14:8-11, and John 22:24-29, Sue explores how this parable speaks to our own lives—revealing how we sometimes use God for our own gain rather than respecting Him for who He is.
She challenges us to consider our motives and relationship with God, urging us to embrace His unconditional love and grace.
Join us for a thought-provoking and transformative message.
Josh Irwin comes and continues our current topic and looks more into the Parable of The Lost Son
Sam Paul Pilli continues on our current topic of "Are You Coming To the Party as we go through Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God" with Chapter 2 called "The Two Lost Sons" and how its not just the younger son that was lost but also the older brother.
Sam Paul Pilli brings personal knowledge of Non-Western customs that would have reflected in the story
In the first message of our new series "Are You Coming To The Party," Ps Sue Irwin delves into the themes of Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God."
Drawing from Luke 15:1-3, 6-8, 11-32, Joshua 6:13-15, Luke 7:37-39, Luke 7:44-49, and Isaiah 25:6-8, Sue explores the depth of God's grace and the invitation extended to all of us.
Through the parables and stories of Jesus, we learn about God's extravagant love and the celebration awaiting those who return to Him.
Join us for an inspiring message that invites you to embrace God's love and join the celebration.
In the final message of our series "Who Are You Becoming," titled "Honesty," Ps Sue Irwin explores the transformative power of truthfulness in our lives.
Drawing from Luke 22:49-51, James 5:16, 1 John 1:7, and Romans 2:1, Sue highlights the importance of honesty in our relationships with God and others. She encourages us to embrace vulnerability, seek forgiveness, and walk in the light of God's truth.
Through these scriptures, we learn how being honest with ourselves and others can lead to healing, growth, and deeper connections.
Join us for this compelling and heartfelt conclusion to our series.
In "Becoming Myself in Troubled Times," David Ritchie continues our series on "Who Are You Becoming," exploring how adversity shapes our true identity. Drawing from readings in the Book of Romans and 2 Corinthians, David examines the Apostle Paul's experiences and teachings on suffering, identity, and God's strength in weakness.
Through these powerful scriptures, David encourages us to embrace our identity as children of God, even in difficult times.
Discover how challenges can refine our character and deepen our faith.
Join us for an inspiring message that will help you navigate life's struggles with grace and authenticity.
In "What is Your Story," Ps Sue Irwin continues our series on "Who Are You Becoming," inviting listeners to reflect on their own journeys.
Drawing from the powerful vision of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37:11, Sue explores themes of restoration, hope, and transformation. She encourages us to consider how our past experiences, present challenges, and future aspirations shape our personal stories.
Through insightful teachings and practical applications, Ps Irwin inspires us to embrace our unique narratives and recognize God's hand in every chapter.
Join us for an engaging and heartfelt message that will help you understand and celebrate your own story.
Richard Lee from International Justice Ministry flies in to give us an incredible sermon based around the story of Gideon and how IJM is working around the world in saving young people that are trapped in slavery.
This message is classified mature due to some adult themes within the message
In this weeks Sunday AM message, speaker Bev Murrill delves into the power of small decisions in shaping our lives and faith.
Drawing from 2 Kings 18:13-16, Colossians 3:17, 2 Chronicles 32:8, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and Psalm 139:23-24, Bev explores how everyday choices impact our spiritual journey and relationship with God.
Learn how to live intentionally, honoring God in every action, and allowing His presence to transform us from within.
Join us for an inspiring message that will encourage you to make mindful choices, knowing that even the smallest decisions can make a significant difference.
On 8th February 2023 at Asbury University in Kentucky, USA, a spontaneous revival event began following a regular chapel service.
This spiritual awakening saw continuous worship, prayer, and testimonies, drawing thousands of participants from across the country.
The event, characterized by its grassroots nature, extended for weeks as people experienced profound spiritual renewal and transformation. The revival attracted significant media attention and brought a sense of unity and fervent faith to the campus community and beyond.
Two of its students are interviewed by David Thomas who was one of the leaders that helped organise this momentous event at The Grainery Church (Newcastle Campus). Come and hear about this event from those who were there
In this uplifting episode, we delve into a rich tapestry of scriptures that reveal the profound presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Drawing from Psalms 27, 13-14, and 23, we explore God's steadfast love and guidance.
Journey through 1 Chronicles 17:16-18, John 14:26, and Romans 8:16 to uncover the Spirit's role as our Comforter and witness. Acts 2:4, Galatians 4:6, and 1 Corinthians 6:19 remind us of the Spirit's indwelling and transformative power.
Embrace the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and experience the hope, love, and freedom found in Romans 15:13, Romans 5:5, and 2 Corinthians 3:17.
Join us for an inspiring exploration of living a Spirit-filled life.
In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the profound wisdom found in Proverbs 14:12, 1 John 2:16, and Jeremiah 17:9.
Discover the dangers of relying on human understanding and the deceptive nature of the heart. Proverbs 14:12 warns us of the seemingly right paths that lead to destruction, while 1 John 2:16 highlights the pitfalls of worldly desires.
Jeremiah 17:9 reveals the deceitfulness of the heart, urging us to seek God's truth and guidance.
Join us as we delve into these verses, offering insights and practical applications to help navigate life's challenges with discernment and faith.
In our brand new topic, "Who Are You Becoming," Ps Sue Irwin explores the transformative journey of personal growth and spiritual development.
Drawing from Philippians 3:4-16 and Acts 22:4-5, Ps Irwin delves into the Apostle Paul's journey of self-discovery and his relentless pursuit of knowing Christ.
Discover how past experiences and future aspirations shape who we are becoming in Christ. Through powerful insights and practical applications, Ps Irwin encourages us to press forward, leaving behind our old selves and embracing the new creation in Christ.
Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking message on becoming who God has called you to be.
In "Presenceness," speaker Adrian Smith delves into the significance of being present with God and others, drawing on the profound truths of Ecclesiastes 3:11, Mark 10:46-52, and Hebrews 10:24-25.
Discover how God's timing, Jesus' healing touch, and the call to encourage one another shape our understanding of true presence.
Through Adrian Smith's insightful sermon, learn how to cultivate a deeper connection with God and those around you.
Join us for an inspiring message that will encourage you to embrace the beauty of being fully present in every moment, fostering genuine relationships and spiritual growth.
In "Finding My True Self," speaker David Ritchie explores the profound insights of 1 John 3:1, 1 John 3:16, and 1 John 3:23.
Dive into the transformative power of God's love and discover your true identity as a child of God.
Through these verses, David Ritchie illuminates how understanding God's love, demonstrated through Jesus, shapes our self-worth and guides us to live out our calling. He adds in personal stories of his life from when he lived in Southern Rhodesia (which is now Zimbabwe) and a close friend who was born in Peterborough, UK and worked in Kenya.
Join us for an inspiring and heartfelt sermon that will encourage you to embrace your true self, rooted in love and faith, and live a life reflecting God's love to others.
In "Walk in Love and Wisdom: Living a Spirit-Filled Life," Ps Sue Irwin unpacks the timeless wisdom of Ephesians 5:1-2 and Ephesians 5:17-20.
Discover how to emulate God's love, live wisely, and stay filled with the Spirit in every aspect of your life. Through Ps Irwin's engaging and insightful sermon, learn practical steps to deepen your faith, embrace God's love, and cultivate a life of worship and gratitude.
Tune in for an inspiring message that will encourage you to walk in love and wisdom, making the most of every opportunity to live a Spirit-filled life.
In "Embrace the Call: Journey of Discipleship," speaker Asher Morrison delves into the profound teachings of Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 9:10-13, and Matthew 4:18-22.
Explore the essence of discipleship as Jesus commissions His followers to spread the Gospel, calls sinners to repentance, and invites His first disciples to follow Him.
Through insightful reflections and practical applications, Asher Morrison inspires listeners to embrace their own journey of faith, healing, and mission.
Tune in to be encouraged and equipped to live out your calling as a disciple of Christ, making a lasting impact in the world.
This week is National Reconciliation Week where we aim to strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people.
Guest speaker Ps Ray Minniecon from Sydney brings an amazing message on Reconciliation Through The Cross to both campuses of The Grainery Church.
Join John Crawford for a special Pentecost Sunday message, "Discover The Treasure Within You: Gifts are like Jewels." Delve into the beauty and significance of spiritual gifts as we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Drawing parallels between gifts and jewels, John explores their value and brilliance in the context of God's Kingdom.
Through insightful reflections, discover how the Holy Spirit empowers and adorns believers with unique gifts for the common good.
Don't miss this illuminating message of empowerment and celebration as we embrace the treasure within on Pentecost Sunday with John Crawford.
Join us as we continue to discover the treasure that God has placed in each of us, and why He has given us these gifts.
Anchoring us on 1 Corinthians 12, Ps Sue Irwin leads us to the answer - to bless others and to bring God glory! Sue's message will encourage you to seek out your giftings and use them in your every day relationships and interactions.
We hope that this message blesses and encourages you.
Welcome to the inaugural message of our new topic, "Discover The Treasure Within You," with Ps Sue Irwin.
Delve into the depths of self-discovery and spiritual revelation as we explore 2 Corinthians 4:5-9,18 and Psalm 139:13-17. Uncover the invaluable treasure nestled within each of us, intricately woven by the hands of our Creator.
Join us as Ps Sue illuminates the divine purpose and potential inherent in every individual. Don't miss this transformative journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Tune in to unearth the hidden gems within and embrace the abundant life waiting to be discovered.
Join us for our 5pm Easter Sunday service at Steel River Campus with the message titled "He Is Risen," delivered by Asher Morrison.
Through the lens of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Asher unveils the profound truth of Christ's resurrection, igniting hope and joy in our hearts.
Experience the transformative power of Easter as we celebrate the victory over sin and death.
Don't miss this opportunity to encounter the life-changing message of resurrection and embrace the new life found in Jesus.
Tune in and celebrate with us as we rejoice in the risen Saviour!
Welcome to our AM Easter Sunday message at Steel River Campus, titled "He Is Risen," delivered by Josh Irwin.
Dive into the heart of Easter with readings from Luke 23:47-49 and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, as Josh illuminates the profound truth of Christ's resurrection. Experience the joy and hope of the Easter story as we celebrate the triumph of life over death.
Join us for a message of renewal, redemption, and the transformative power of Christ's victory.
Don't miss this opportunity to encounter the resurrection message afresh and embrace the new life found in Jesus.
Tune in and celebrate with us!
Join us for our Good Friday message at our Steel River Campus, "He Died, Rose and Is Coming Again," delivered by Ps Sue Irwin.
In this powerful sermon, Ps Sue unfolds the profound significance of Easter in three compelling sections: He Died, He Rose, He Is Coming Again.
Through insightful reflections and biblical truths, discover the transformative message of Christ's death, resurrection, and promised return.
Don't miss this opportunity to journey through the heart of Easter and encounter the hope, redemption, and eternal life found in Jesus Christ.
Tune in for a message of faith, renewal, and celebration this Easter season.
Join Ps Sue Irwin for the final message of our series, "How Does Jesus Change Lives." Delve into the transformative power of Christ as Ps Sue explores the profound impact of encountering Jesus in our daily lives. Through insightful reflections, discover how Jesus' presence can revolutionize perspectives, attitudes, and circumstances.
Don't miss this compelling conclusion to our series, where we explore the life-changing implications of allowing Jesus to work in and through us, shaping us into the people He intends us to be.
Tune in for a powerful message of faith, transformation, and hope as we reflect on the enduring influence of Jesus in our lives.
Join us for "Expectations" with speaker Sam Paul Pilli, as we continue with our series on "How Jesus Changes Lives."
Exploring Acts 3:1-10, Sam delves into the power of expectations in shaping our encounters with God. Discover how the story of the lame beggar at the temple gate challenges and reshapes our own expectations of God's transformative power. Through this scripture, gain insights into the life-changing potential of aligning our expectations with the promises of Christ.
Don't miss this thought-provoking sermon as we learn to approach our faith journey with expectant hearts, anticipating the miraculous work of Jesus in our lives.
Tune in to "Jesus' Authority" with speaker David Ritchie, as we delve deeper into our series on "How Jesus Changes Lives." Exploring Mark 10:32-45, David illuminates the profound authority of Jesus and its transformative impact on our lives.
Join us as we uncover the revolutionary teachings of Christ and their relevance in today's world. Through this scripture, discover how embracing Jesus' authority leads to a life of purpose, service, and radical love.
Don't miss this enlightening sermon as we journey together in understanding and applying the transformative power of Jesus' authority in our lives.
Josh Irwin is speaking at our Steel River evening service as he continues our current topic "How Jesus Changes Lives" with an inspirational message on how we can worship God.
Welcome to "Come and Follow" with Pastor Sue Irwin, as we delve deeper into our series on "How Jesus Changes Lives."
Drawing insights from John Mark Comer's groundbreaking book, "Practicing The Way," Pastor Sue invites us to explore the transformative journey of discipleship. Through Luke 4:35-37 and John 14:10-14, discover the profound invitation to follow Jesus and experience the power of His presence in our lives.
Join us as we learn practical ways to embody the teachings of Christ and deepen our intimacy with God. Don't miss this enlightening sermon as we embark on a path of spiritual growth and discipleship together.
Join Pastor Sue Irwin for our 5pm service as we continue our exploration of "How Jesus Changes Lives" with the message titled "Practicing the Way Through God."
Drawing inspiration from John Mark Comer's insightful new book and from Dallas Willard , Pastor Sue delves into practical strategies for deepening our connection with God.
Through John 14:1-14, discover the transformative power of practicing the way of Jesus in our daily lives. Explore how embracing spiritual disciplines and cultivating intimacy with God leads to profound personal and communal transformation.
Don't miss this enriching sermon as we learn to navigate life's challenges with faith, resilience, and unwavering trust in God's promises.
Welcome to "Stephen and The Book of Acts" with speaker Bev Murrill, continuing our series on "How Jesus Changes Lives."
Delve into Acts 6:1-11, Acts 7:54-60, Acts 8:1-4, and Ephesians 2:10 as Bev unravels the powerful narrative of Stephen and the early church.
Through these passages, discover the profound impact of Jesus on Stephen's life and the transformative ripple effect throughout the early Christian community. Join us as we explore how encounters with Jesus ignite courage, conviction, and purpose in the lives of believers.
Tune in for enlightening insights into the enduring relevance of the Book of Acts in shaping our faith journey.
Pastor Sue Irwin takes over this weeks PM service with "God Restore Us" as we delve deeper into our ongoing series, "How Jesus Changes Lives."
Drawing from John 1:29, Colossians 1:22-23, and Ephesians 1:18-23, Ps Sue explores the transformative power of God's restoration.
Join us as we uncover the profound truth of how Jesus brings renewal and reconciliation to our lives. Through these scriptures, discover the hope and healing available to all who turn to Him.
Tune in for inspiring insights into the journey of restoration and the remarkable ways in which Jesus transforms lives.
This weeks AM message is brought by guest speaker, Rachel Hickson from Oxford, UK titled "Hope Fulfilled". A message that teaches us that Jesus can indeed change our lives if we put our hope in him 100%.
Ps Sue kicks off our brand new challenge called "How Jesus Changes Lives" with a impactful message titled "How Jesus Saves Lives" with Pastor Sue Irwin where she delves into Acts 7:54-60, Acts 8:1-8, and Acts 9:1-9, unveiling the transformative power of encountering Jesus.
Through these scriptures, explore the profound shifts in perspective, purpose, and destiny that occur when Jesus enters our lives.
Join us as we journey through the accounts of lives radically transformed by the presence of Christ, discovering the hope, healing, and redemption available to all who embrace His saving grace.
Tune in for inspiring insights into the life-changing impact of Jesus.
Join Asher Morrison for the concluding message titled "I Will Be Your God and You Will Be My People," wrapping up our series on "Getting Into Shape."
Exploring Hebrews 10:23-25, Asher illuminates the importance of community and perseverance in our spiritual journey.
In this final sermon, discover how holding fast to our faith and supporting one another strengthens our bond with God and fellow believers.
Don't miss this empowering conclusion as we solidify our commitment to spiritual growth and unity.
Tune in for insightful reflections and practical guidance on living out our faith in community.
Join guest speaker Tim Caughey on his message titled "What We Want from Church and What God Wants from Us" as we continue to explore our first 2024 topic "Getting Into Shape" spiritually through the lens of 1 Peter 1:3-9 and Colossians 2:6-12.
Through this message, Tim dissects the alignment of our desires from church with God's expectations and delves into the profound connection, revealing how embracing God's grace and nurturing our spiritual lives can empower us to become more authentic and faithful followers of Christ.
Tune in for a concise, thought-provoking exploration of faith, purpose, and growth, discovering the harmony between our aspirations within the church and our call to live in accordance with God's divine plan.
Welcome to "Grow God in Your Heart and Mind" with Pastor Sue Irwin.
In this episode, we explore the transformative power of "Getting Into Shape" spiritually, drawing wisdom from an array of scriptures including 1 Corinthians 11:23-28, Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 12:31-32, and John 14:16-18. Join Pastor Sue as she guides you on a profound journey towards aligning your heart and mind with God's purpose.
Through reflection and understanding of these scriptures, you'll gain invaluable insights on deepening your faith, embracing the Great Commission, and finding lasting comfort in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Tune in for spiritual growth and inspiration.
In this enlightening episode of "Finding Peace in Uncertain Times," Pastor Sue Irwin delves into the timeless wisdom of Philippians 4:4-9.
Join us as we explore how this scripture can guide us on our journey of "Getting Into Shape" - not just physically, but spiritually and mentally as well. Discover practical and uplifting insights on finding inner tranquility amidst life's challenges.
Pastor Sue's warm and insightful reflections will inspire you to embrace a holistic approach to well-being, as we learn to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and dwell on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy.
Tune in for a refreshing dose of spiritual guidance and empowerment.
Step into a profound spiritual journey with Ps Sam Paul Pilli in our latest podcast episode, "Out of the Dust We Came," as we continue our engaging series, "Getting Into Shape."
Exploring the scriptures of Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:24, Genesis 2:7, and 1 Corinthians 3:16, we delve deep into the origins of humanity and the divine purpose behind our creation. Gain a deeper understanding of how we emerged from the dust and were imbued with God's breath.
This insightful message reminds us that recognizing our humble beginnings can set us on a transformative path towards spiritual growth and alignment with God's magnificent plan for our lives.
In this inspiring podcast episode, join Josh Irwin as he delves into our ongoing series, "Getting Into Shape," with the powerful message titled "God Calls To Share His Eternal Glory."
Drawing wisdom from Hebrews 6:18-19, Romans 15:13, Ephesians 1:18-20, and 1 Peter 5:10, we explore the divine call to partake in God's eternal glory.
Discover how faith and hope anchor us in the journey towards spiritual transformation, filling our lives with His abundant grace and purpose.
Please note that a clip from The Super Mario Bros. Movie was used in the sermon. The Grainery Church does not own the rights to this clip but was used to connect a story that Josh spoke about in his sermon
Tune in to our first Sunday sermon of 2024, "Katartizo," delivered by David Ritchiei, as we kick off our exciting new series, "Getting Into Shape."
Drawing wisdom from Ephesians 4:7, Ephesians 4:11-12, Matthew 4:21, and Luke 6:39, this podcast explores the concept of spiritual growth and equipping ourselves for the journey ahead.
Join us on this transformative path towards becoming the best version of ourselves in the year to come.
As we bid farewell to 2023, join us for our final Sunday sermon, "Remembering The Goodness of God," by Pastor Sam Paul Pilli.
Reflect on this year with the comforting verses from Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalms 139:14-16, and Psalms 8:3-4.
This podcast encourages us to look back at 2023, acknowledging God's unchanging love and purposeful plans in our lives.
Let this message be a source of inspiration as we approach a new year, filled with gratitude for the goodness of our Heavenly Father.
*Please note that people's personal stories that were told on the day were not recorded as we did not have their permission to include them in this podcast
We have come to the final Sunday of 2023 and what a great year it has been.
Ps Sue comes with a quick message on reflecting of the year that has gone and shows us how our testimonies need to be heard.
*On the day this was recorded, several people got up to give their testimony. As a token of respect, their stories were not recorded. Only Ps Sue's message was recorded
Join us for a heartwarming Christmas Eve message with Pastor Sue Irwin, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. In this special gathering, we draw inspiration from the profound verses woven into the message:
🌟 1 John 1:5 reminds us that God is light, illuminating our lives.
🕯️ John 8:12 reveals Jesus as the light of the world, guiding our paths.
🎁 Matthew 1:23 signifies Emmanuel, God with us, fulfilling ancient prophecy.
🙏 Luke 1:30 and 1:38 highlight Mary's divine calling and her faithful response.
👼 Luke 2:14 echoes the angelic chorus proclaiming peace on Earth.
Join us in embracing the true spirit of Christmas, where light, love, and faith converge in a message of hope and joy. 🎄🌟
John Crawford continues our Advent series, "Hark: Glad Tidings of Great Joy"with a message titled "Advent"as we journey through the heartwarming narrative of Luke 2:8-14.
🌟 Join us as we immerse ourselves in the awe-inspiring scene of shepherds in the fields.
👼 Experience the divine announcement and the heavenly host's proclamation.
John Crawford reflects on the significance of this moment, reminding us of the true essence of Advent – a time of anticipation, wonder, and the promise of great joy. As we continue our Advent exploration, tune in to embrace the spirit of the season and find hope in the message of hope and peace. 🎙️🌟
Jake Divens warmly invites you to continue our Advent journey, "Hark: Glad Tidings of Great Joy." In his message, "A New Advent: Wonder, Hope & Courage," where we explore the profound stories within Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:19-24.
🌟 Discover the wonder of Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel.
🙏 Find hope in Joseph's courageous decision to embrace his divine role.
Jake Divens beautifully unpacks these narratives, showing us how they resonate with our own lives. As we continue our Advent exploration, let us be inspired by the faith and courage of those who played pivotal roles in the Christmas story. Tune in for a dose of wonder, hope, and courage this season.
Pastor Sue Irwin continues our Advent journey of "Hark: Glad Tidings of Great Joy" With her message titled "The Time Comes Suddenly," we delve into the heart of the Christmas story through the lens of Luke 2:6-18.
Join us as we revisit the momentous birth of Jesus, where shepherds received the angelic proclamation. Pastor Sue Irwin beautifully unravels the significance of this divine event, reminding us that sometimes, the most extraordinary moments arrive suddenly.
Embrace the spirit of anticipation and joy this season brings, as we reflect on the timeless message of hope and salvation.
Tune in for a heartwarming dose of Christmas spirit.
Asher Morrison welcomes you to our final topic for 2023 "Hark! Glad Tidings of Great Joy," where we dive into the timeless message of hope and joy found in the Bible. In this episode, titled "Joy To The World" we explore key passages that illuminate the profound significance of this message.
Join us as we journey through Psalm 98, which celebrates the Lord's marvelous works, 1 Peter 1:10-13, which speaks of the anticipation of salvation, and Revelation 21:1-5, where we glimpse the promise of a new heaven and earth.
Discover the eternal joy that transcends time and space in this enlightening episode of "Joy To The World."
Welcome to "Hark! Glad Tidings of Great Joy" with Bev Murrill. In this sermon, we unwrap the layers of Christmas's profound meaning through the lens of Matthew 1:18-24.
Bev Murrill shares the heart-touching story behind the poem "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Discover how Longfellow's personal journey of sorrow and hope led to the creation of this timeless poem and its message of resilience that is now a song done by Casting Crowns.
Join us as we reflect on the power of faith, love, and the enduring message of Christmas. Tune in for a heartwarming exploration of the true essence of the holiday season.
*This sermon includes the audio "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Casting Crowns. The Grainery Church does not own the rights to this song but is used as part of the message by the preacher.
Explore the life-changing wisdom of "Take Him At His Word. Ps Sam Paul delves into John 1:1s revelation of the Word's divine nature, 2 Timothy 3:16-17's testament to Scripture's guidance and Psalms 119:105's metaphor of God's Word as a guiding light.
Come and elevate your faiths journey with this Sunday podcast
Dive into a soul-stirring episode where Ps Sue kicks off our new topic "Take Him At His Word" with incredible bible verses that reveal the true power of faith.
In this sermon, Matt Darvas discusses the increasing polarization and fear in society. He suggests that this division is due to societal shifts and upheavals, and is exacerbated by social media algorithms that reward outrage.
To combat this, he suggests three steps: understanding the times we're in, reorienting our hearts and minds on God's glory and rule, and becoming bridge builders and peacemakers.
He emphasizes the importance of exiting our own world to enter another's, approaching differences with fascination and curiosity, and protesting and redeeming when necessary. He concludes by praying for peace and understanding in the face of anxieties and fear.
Venture into a captivating sermon by Ps Sue on "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" as she weaves together the wisdom from scriptures like 1 John 3:18, Philippians 2:5-1, Ephesians 6:13 and James 1:2-4 and a film clip from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Discover the intricate dance of human frailty, resilience and redemption that thrads through biblical teachings and the trials faced by the Pevensie children.
Whether you're seeking spiritual guidance or literary insights, this sermon promises to illuminate the nuances of temptation and the power of faith.
*Please note that the copyright of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe clip is owned by Disney
Get ready to hear John Crawford unpack the simple yet profound phrase "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread", from Matthew 6:11.
This episode dives into the deeper meanings behind this well-known line from the Lord's Prayer. Is it just about food, or is there more?
Explore the dual significance of asking for both physical sustenance and spiritual nourishment. Whether you're seeking clarity on daily gratitude or striving for a deeper connection with your faith, this episode serves up food for thought.
Come hear a fulfilling message that will nourish both body and soul
*This was recorded during our Sunday AM service on 17th September 2023
Dive deep into the transformative power of forgiveness, as inpired by Matthew 18. Josh Irwin upacks the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, offering insight into the liberating effects of letting go. Discover why forgiveness is not just a gift to others, but also a gift to yourself. Whether you're wrestling with old grudges or striving for spiritual growth, join us as we explore why it's crucial to "forgive from the heart".
Don't miss this enlighting chat on a topic that inpacts us all
Step into a transformative journey as Bev Murill explores the concept of "Forgive Us for Our Sins", diving deep into biblical wisdom.
We unpack Matthew 6:12, which teaches us to ask for forgiveness just as we forgive others. But how easy it is to forgive, and what happens when forgiveness seems impossible?
Proverbs 18 offers insights into understanding the power of words and the dangers of isolation. Then, we switch gears to Matthew 18:15-17, providing a step-by-step guide on how to resolve conflicts within a community, straight from Jesus himself. Lastly, find peace with Psalm 119:165, discovering how love for God's laws can bring about an unfathomable serenity, untouched by offense.
Whether you're struggling with forgiveness or want to deepen your understanding, this sermon offers practical takeaways backed by sacred texts. Tune in and let your spirit be renewed.
Ps Sue continues on the current topic of "The Lord's Prayer" focusing on Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread" and uses Luke 18 throughout the message
Mark Scandrette has spent a week talking to different ministries in Grainery Church and finally brings one last amazing message before he heads back to San Fransico, USA based around Practicing the Way of Jesus and focuses on the beatitudes in Matthew 5
Asher Morrison speaks at our Sunday PM service with a Fathers Day message based around faith and our faith in God with stories from his own life, in the story of Abraham in the Book of Genesis and the story of Hachiko, the Japenese dog whose faith never waivered even when their owner never came home after passing away while at work.
Sharing his own life story, David explores the physically and emtionally drianing effects of being in a helping profession.
As and Anglican minister he speaks of how sailing helped him to unwind and recharge his batteries, and how some unexpected experiences led him to some biblical truths about life.
KNowing the love and favour of Jesus through a large catch of fish changed the life of Simon Peter (the fisherman). He came to know his Hevenly Father and became a fisher of men.
Join Jesus' fishing team - that's David's call for us
Bev Murill comes to our PM service with a great message on "The Kingdom is Coming" as we continue our topic of "Who Do You Say He is - The Lord's Prayer", based around the book of Matthew especially Matthew 6:10 and Matthew 16:19
Ps Paul West continues our journey through our current topic "Who Do You Say He Is - The Lords Prayer" with a message around Living in The Now but Not Yet.
There is a gap. It is between what we know about God and who he really is. He is HOLY. Rather than our prayers starting with ourselves, Sue encourages us to start with God. His holiness. His kingship. His will.
This is not about ethics but about an otherness of being, a quality of "set apartness". There is nothing greater than God's holiness. His name is who he reveals himself to be.
Sue replays an incredible list of adjectives and phrases that reveal the true nature of God and his benevolence.
However, beyond this she encourages us to allow God to be the centre of our being, bringing all he is to all we are in all the circumstances of life
Welcome to a soul-enriching episode titled "Our Father" In this special episode, Youth Pastor Jake Divens delves into the depths of one of the most revered prayers in history, the Lord's Prayer, drawing inspiration from Psalms 23:1-6, Psalms 139:1-12, and Matthew 6:9-13.
Join us on a spiritual journey as we explore the profound teachings of the Lord's Prayer, which encapsulates the essence of our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father. Through Psalms 23:1-6, we reflect on the comforting imagery of God as our Shepherd, leading and guiding us through life's challenges and joys.
In Psalms 139:1-12, we find a poignant reminder of God's omnipresence and intimate knowledge of us. This connection reinforces the opening words of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father," as we acknowledge God's vastness and personal care for each one of us.
Matthew 6:9-13 offers the Lord's Prayer in its full form, teaching us not only the words to utter but the profound truths they convey. We delve into its layers of meaning, from recognizing God's holiness and kingdom, to seeking provision, forgiveness, and guidance in our daily lives.
Throughout this episode, we reflect on the significance of this prayer as a guide for our relationship with God. We explore how it embodies the themes of trust, surrender, and an invitation to live in alignment with God's will.
The Bible is a way to a relationship with God, a relationship in which we meet someone who laways knows and always cares and always wants to hear what is on our minds.
Pastor Sue unpacks the first words of The Lord's Prayer. It is not a long prayer - God doesn't need lots of words or a role play, just honest communication with a loving father.
This message will help you to understand your identity - who you are, a beloved, adopted Child of God and heir of a great spiritual inheritance. It will call you to consider the realities of heaven and how heaven can come to earth
Welcome to a thought-provoking episode of our Sunday podcast, where this week John Crawford delves into the compelling topic of "Impact the World Beyond Us" inspired by Hebrews 12:1. In this verse, we find a powerful message about leaving a lasting legacy that goes beyond our own lives.
Throughout this episode, we unpack the idea of "Impact the World Beyond Us" and what it means for our lives today. We discuss the importance of living with purpose, embracing challenges, and being intentional about the footprints we leave behind.
As we navigate this topic, we explore practical ways in which we can impact the world beyond us. We discuss the significance of mentorship, acts of kindness, and living a life that reflects our values and beliefs, leaving a positive mark on those who come after us.
Jake Divens comes to our PM service where he explores the profound topic of "Love Like Jesus" using Matthew 22:35-39 and John 15:12-17 as his guiding scriptures. In these verses, we find the core essence of Jesus' teachings on love, encapsulating the greatest commandment and His profound example of sacrificial love.
As we navigate this topic, we explore practical ways in which we can love like Jesus in our daily lives. We discuss the importance of forgiveness, humility, and seeking the well-being of others, just as Jesus did for His disciples and for all humanity.
Welcome to this weeks Sunday AM heartwarming message, where we explore the transformative topic of "Love Like Jesus". Ps Paul West uses 1 John 3:16 to give a powerful message about the essence of love and the profound example set by Jesus Himself.
We explore the sacrificial nature of love, as exemplified by Jesus who laid down His life for us, showing the ultimate act of selflessness.
Throughout this episode, we unpack the concept of "Love Like Jesus" and what it means for our lives today. We discuss the importance of genuine compassion, empathy, and caring for others as a reflection of Christ's love.
As we navigate this topic, we explore practical ways in which we can love like Jesus in our daily lives. We discuss the significance of putting others' needs before our own, extending grace and forgiveness, and striving to be a light in the lives of those around us.
Josh Irwin bring a messages inspired by Mark 1:14-20 where we witness the beginning of Jesus' ministry, where He calls His first disciples and sets in motion a mission to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.
Join us as we explore the depths of Mark 1:14-20, reflecting on its profound message of hope, redemption, and the transformative power of following Jesus. We delve into the significance of Jesus' call to repentance and belief in the Gospel, signaling the dawn of a new era where the Kingdom of God is made accessible to all.
Throughout this episode, we unpack the concept of "Bringing Heaven to Earth" and what it means for our lives today. We discuss the importance of living with purpose and intentionality, seeking to align our actions with God's will and values.
Personal stories, parables, humour and biblical insight are hallmarks of Asher's unpacking of the truth of God's Word.
Out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouths speak. Addressing the issue of our inner life, Asher reminds us that every day we are people in need of a saviour and will be so for the rest of our lives.
The Holy Spirit, over the course of our lives, removes bitterness, sadness, fear and brokenness and replaces them with the kingdom of God within - and it all begins with Jesus accepting us just as we are now.
Even in our mess God accepts us and loves us and offers us transformation, by this grace
Within, among and beyond - that is where the Kingdom of God operates.
In this seminal message, Ps Sue Irwin announces the vision and mission for the Grainery Church over the next few years. It is a vision for transformation - of individuals, of communities and of nations.
As Sue unpacks her message, she draws on the scripture and the wisdom and experiences of great people in history such as John Wesley, Dallas Willard and C.S. Lewis
We all love to hear a little bit of the life stroy of the people we meet. "What do you do for work?" we often ask people.
Jake Divens looks at John 12 where it records words of Jesus who shared his heart follow his Father's commands right down to what to say and how to say it.
This week is NAIDOC week and as we get closer to the end of our current topic of "Sowing Love", Ps Sue Irwin comes with our PM message where she continues to explore the topic of "Sowing Love" with references from John 13 in the Bible.
In this chapter, we witness a profound act of love and service demonstrated by Jesus, setting an example for us to follow in our own lives.
Join us as we delve into the depths of John 13, reflecting on its timeless message of love, humility, and selflessness. We explore the powerful scene of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, a profound act of servant leadership that teaches us about the essence of true love and the importance of serving others.
Cate Lewis is a national leader and international speaker and pioneer in the "Blessing" movement.
Cate brings a message based around Acts Chapter 3 where a lame man says "Look at us" to Peter and John where they are filled with the Holy Spirit and faith where they performed an amazing miracle.
Cate reminds us that we have authroity to bless others. The "Local House of Prayer"international movement is expanding this vision in Australia and is seeking great fruit as believers begin to speak blessings over their own lives, their neighbourhoods, their workplaces, schools and churches - including seeing many saved and healed.
Listen and join in!
Welcome this thought-provoking episode of our podcast of a combined effort by John Crawford and James Chapman, where they will dive into the intriguing topic of "Living Questionable Lives" inspired by Colossians 4 in the Bible.
In this chapter, we encounter powerful teachings that challenge us to examine our conduct and interactions with the world around us.
Join us as we explore the depths of Colossians 4, reflecting on its wisdom and guidance for living lives that provoke curiosity, intrigue, and ultimately point others to the truth. We delve into the notion of living in a way that prompts others to ask questions about our faith and values.
Throughout this episode, we unpack the concept of "questionable lives" and what it means to be counter-cultural. We discuss the importance of integrity, authenticity, and grace in our interactions with others. We delve into the transformative power of living out our faith in such a way that it captivates the attention and curiosity of those around us.
Dave Ritchie comes with our AM message where he explores the topic of "Loving the Lost" inspired by Luke 18 in the Bible. In this chapter, we encounter powerful teachings from Jesus that illuminate the significance of showing love and compassion to those who are lost or marginalized.
Throughout this episode, Dave explores the profound lessons that can be gleaned from these parables. We discuss the value of empathy, mercy, and genuine care for others. We delve into the transformative power of love in bringing about redemption, healing, and restoration.
As we navigate this topic, we explore practical ways in which we can embody love and reach out to the lost around us. We discuss the importance of listening without judgment, offering a helping hand, and creating spaces of inclusivity and acceptance.
Join us as we embark on a journey of embracing the commandment to love the lost, guided by the teachings of Luke 18.
Through this episode, we hope to inspire and challenge our listeners to extend love, compassion, and grace to those who need it the most, creating a world where everyone feels seen, valued, and loved.
Ps Paul West comes with a powerful message as we continue the topic of "Sowing Love" about the essence of love and its transformative impact on our lives and relationships.
Through the message, Paul reflects on how sowing love can bring about personal growth and deep connection with others.
We explore practical ways to manifest love in our daily lives, including acts of kindness, forgiveness, and compassionate listening.
In this episode of our podcast, Adrian Smith continues on our current topic of "Sowing Love" through the lens of The Parable of the Samaritan. This powerful and timeless story, found in Luke 10, teaches us about the true meaning of love, compassion, and the importance of extending a helping hand to those in need.
Join us as we unpack the rich symbolism and lessons embedded in this parable. We explore the encounter between a wounded traveler and three individuals who come across him: a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. While the first two pass by without offering assistance, it is the Samaritan who demonstrates genuine love and compassion, going above and beyond to care for the wounded man.
Through this parable, we reflect on the barriers that divide us and hinder acts of love and compassion. We discuss the profound message of embracing empathy, setting aside prejudices, and reaching out to those who may be different from us.
Throughout this episode, we examine practical ways in which we can sow love in our daily lives. We delve into the power of empathy, kindness, and selfless actions, emphasizing how these small acts can create a ripple effect of love and healing in our communities.
Join us as we explore the transformative power of sowing love, inspired by The Parable of the Samaritan. Through this episode, we aim to inspire and encourage our listeners to become agents of love, compassion, and positive change in the world around them.
God demonstrates his love for us by hearing us - by listening to us no matter where we are or what we are doing.
Josh comes this week and shares many verses from the Bible that illustrate this point, using personal stories and humour to apply this to our lives. He encourages us to be quick to listen and ask questions, and slow to give advice or problem solve.
The enemies to listening include pride and fear - both addressed by Josh to help us in developing humility and self control so we can truly love others.
This is wisdom for the willing.
Beginning with the “good news” about God’s plan to save the world through Jesus, Sue explains how God’s love is at the centre of Christian faith.
Love, expressed in grace and mercy can transform the world. Begin with prayer, listen to others, eat together, serve one another, share your story. These are expressions of this love, grace and mercy.
Ps Sue explains how listening to God’s Holy Spirit, waiting for his directions and his power, will inevitably lead to us in love proclaiming the good news of God’s love in Jesus. This is the core of Christ’s call to bless the world by leading people to become his disciples.
Bev Murrill kicks off our brand new topic "Sowing Love" with a message inspired by Luke 10 where we encounter the parable of the Good Samaritan, a profound story that teaches us about the transformative power of love and compassion.
Through this parable, we delve into the importance of extending kindness and care to others, regardless of their background or circumstances. We examine the actions of the Samaritan who, moved by love and empathy, goes above and beyond to help a stranger in need, despite the societal barriers and prejudices of the time.
Join us as we unpack the lessons of this parable and its relevance in our modern lives. We discuss how sowing love can have a ripple effect, creating a positive impact not only in the lives of those we directly touch but also in our communities and the world at large.
Asher Morrison brings a special message to celebrate Mothers Day and how Mothers are essential in everybodys life.
In this weeks Grainery Sunday podcast, Josh Irwin dives deep into the topic of Hope Defined especially in Romans 15:13. This powerful verse reminds us that hope is not just a vague feeling or wishful thinking, but rather a confident expectation rooted in our faith in God.
Through this passage, we explore the many facets of hope and how it can impact our lives in profound ways. We learn that hope can be a source of strength and resilience, enabling us to persevere through even the most difficult of circumstances.
As we delve deeper into the meaning of hope, we examine its role in shaping our perspectives and attitudes towards life. We discuss how hope can help us find meaning and purpose, and how it can give us the courage to pursue our dreams and aspirations.
Join us Josh gives a powerful message of Hope and its relevance in our lives today. Whether we are facing personal challenges or navigating a rapidly changing world, this verse reminds us that hope is always within reach, and that with faith and perseverance, we can overcome any obstacle and achieve our deepest aspirations.
In this weeks Sunday Podcast, Ps Sam Paul Pilli explores the transformative power of hope through the lens of Exodus 17:8-13. This powerful passage tells the story of Moses and the Israelites as they face a daunting battle against the Amalekites.
Through this story, we learn about the importance of hope in times of crisis. When we face difficult challenges, it can be all too easy to give in to despair and lose sight of the possibilities that lie ahead. But as the story of Exodus 17:8-13 reminds us, hope can be a powerful force, giving us the strength and resilience we need to persevere in the face of adversity.
We are in Week 2 of our current topic "Giving Hope" and Matt Darvas brings a message where we focus on the hope that we have in Jesus Christ while using Romans 3:23-26 as a reference
These verses remind us that we are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. Despite our failures, we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, shedding his blood for our sins, so that we can be made clean and receive eternal life through faith.
This message of hope is powerful and life-changing. It reminds us that our sins are forgiven, and that we have a future and a hope in Christ. It gives us the courage to face life's challenges with faith, knowing that we are not alone and that we are loved by our Heavenly Father.
As we reflect on these verses, let us be encouraged by the hope that we have in Christ. Let us hold fast to our faith and trust in his grace and love. And let us share this hope with those around us, so that they too may experience the joy and peace that comes from a life surrendered to Jesus Christ.
May our hearts be filled with hope as we meditate on these truths, and may we be inspired to live a life that reflects the love and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PODCAST FEATURES AUDIO FROM A BIBLE PROJECT VIDEO. IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE BIBLE PROJECT VIDEO, HEAD TO THIS LINK ---> https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/heaven-and-earth/?utm_source=web_social_share&medium=shared_video
In our first message of our new topic "Giving Hope", Bev uses fresh perspectives on the Biblical story of Esther to link this story of challenge and difficulty to the challenges and crushing difficulties of our sufferings.
In such situations we all need hope. We long for things to come back to “normality “ but it’s often in going through great suffering and threat that we find the courage to become bringers of hope to others.
Comfort, ease and security are incredibly seductive and Bev shows from the life of Esther that our empathy should go out to all people groups.
In our PM Easter Sunday message, Pastor Sam Paul Pilli brings a message where we explore the timeless truths of the Christian faith at Easter using the Bible verse of Luke 24:1-6 as we ponder the question that shook Jesus's disciples to the core.."Why Do you look for the living among the dead"?
Indeed, this question strikes at the heart of what makes the empty tomb so significant. It reminds us that Jesus was not just a historical figure who lived and died like any other. He was, and is, the living Son of God, who conquered death and rose victorious from the grave. The empty tomb is a powerful symbol of this truth, and it continues to inspire and challenge us today.
So join us as we explore this remarkable story and reflect on its meaning for our lives. Let's marvel at the mystery of the empty tomb, and draw strength and hope from the living Savior who it represents.
He is risen - indeed. And on this most important day on anybody’s calendar, John Crawford points out that “remember me” refers to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus - who is the only person out of the multiple thousands of people crucified by the Romans who rose from the dead.
Nobody expected “no body” but Jesus grave was empty on that first Easter Sunday morning.
John shares resurrection stories and invites us to identify with those who met the risen Jesus.
Let this message of hope sink in - if you are unsure or disbelieve, know that God is not mad with you, God is mad about you and has shown this in Jesus
Sue brings us a moving message in three parts, spoken from the perspective of those who died on the three Roman crosses on that first “Good Friday”.
Like the mocking thief, we also often think God has let us down as he allowed some sickness or evil. Like the repentant thief we have the opportunity to enter paradise even though we don’t deserve it. Like millions of others who have trusted that Jesus, on the cross, took the punishment for our sin, we can find our true worth in God, experiencing the divine exchange that happened on the cross.
Through repentance we can receive his grace instead of vengeance or justice, divine favour instead of rejection, and real life and love instead of hatred and death.
God as Trinity is a community and invites us to be his guest also in Community and fellowship and hospitality at His table.
It is a banquet of love that he invites us to. In fact Murray Avril points out that the practice of hospitality is all through scripture and reaches a climax in the “last supper”, commemorated by us in communion and in receiving the salvation that is ours in the body and blood of Jesus.
It is Gods plan that we offer Gods feast of love and forgiveness to those around us - to even go to the roads and countryside to call people to this banquet of love and grace. Build trust. Invite those who need salvation.
Take the opportunity to invite people to hear the gospel - perhaps through a local “Alpha” course!
Bob is the Director of Jews for Jesus Australia. He leads us in this message not only through the original story of the Exodus of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt but also uncovers the story and meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection in the same story.
Step by step Bob recounts the basic elements of the Passover service which would be similar to the service Jesus celebrated in the Last Supper.
Find out the mysteries of the Passover symbolism and the power of the body and blood of Jesus to set us free from slavery to sin.
Naomi Fraser comes with her sermon "Embodying Easter" as part of Week 2 in on our series called "Remember Me" where she uses John 6:35-40, which highlights Jesus' promise of eternal life to those who believe in him.
Throughout her sermon we will explore the themes of hope, renewal, and the process of embodying the Easter message in our daily lives. Join us as we seek to deepen our understanding of the resurrection and its enduring significance, and discover how it can bring us greater joy, purpose, and meaning.
Remembering name is important, just like remembering to celebrate events such as birthdays, anniversaries etc.
David Ritchie comes to our Morning Service with an amazing message where he shows that when Jesus did his ministry, he brough a new meaning of deliverance. This shows in the Passover meal which for the Jews, it is a remembrance of Gods deliverance of the People of Israel and rescuing them out of the slavery in Egypt
We start a brand new series as we get closer to Easter called "Remember Me" and we kick off the series with a podcast that has two parts:
First part has Britt Darvas (Mission & Justice Pastor) interview Jake Sims who is the Country Director for International Justice Ministry in Cambodia on his life and career as he works in Cambodia.
Second part of the podcast, we have our own Bev Murrill talking about Communion which is a big element of our series.
Josh Irwin comes today and looks to the example set by Jesus Christ in the wilderness. Luke Chapter 4 outlines the journey of Jesus as he fasted for forty days and faced temptation from the devil.
This chapter teaches us about the power of the Word of God and how it can guide us through difficult times. Jesus relied on scripture to resist temptation, quoting from Deuteronomy to combat the devil's temptations.
Join us on this journey of reflection and growth as we explore the teachings of Luke Chapter 4 and strive towards a season of peace and repentance.
On this weeks AM message, Ps Paul West explores the powerful words of Romans 10:17 and Revelation 3:8. These two verses hold great significance for people of faith, offering guidance and hope on our spiritual journeys.
As we reflect on these two powerful verses, Ps Paul teaches us that the importance of hearing and studying Christ's word, and the strength and hope that comes from trusting in his guidance. May these words inspire and uplift us on our spiritual journeys, and may we always seek to live out Christ's teachings in our daily lives.
Damon Herington comes with an amazing message titled "Holistic Faith" focusing on Exodus 14:10-22, which details the Israelites' escape from Egypt and crossing of the Red Sea. Through this powerful story, Damon explores the themes of fear, courage, and the importance of a holistic approach to faith. Join us as we seek to integrate our faith into every aspect of our lives, and discover how it can lead to greater peace, purpose, and fulfillment.
"How Far Does Your Faith Go?" is a thought-provoking sermon that explores the limits and depths of faith. Ps Sue Irwin uses 2 Samuel 12:1-10 and Psalm 51:1-18 as her main bible passages which recount the story of David's transgression with Bathsheba and his subsequent repentance.
Throughout this powerful sermon, we will explore the themes of accountability, forgiveness, and the transformative power of faith. Join us as we seek to better understand the true extent of our faith and how it can help us navigate life's challenges with grace and humility.
Bev Murrill returns with this weeks message from Steel Rivar Campus called "Faith: It's a Journey" where she focuses on Romans Chapter 4, which delves into the story of Abraham's journey of faith. Through this powerful story, we will explore the themes of perseverance, trust, and the evolution of faith over time. Join us as we embark on this journey together and discover how our own faith can deepen and grow through life's challenges and triumphs.
Everyone puts their faith in something. But sometimes the things we trust in seems to collapse from under us. In this weeks AM message, John Crawford explores our responses when our faith in God is beset by challenges, doubt and disappointments. He explains how GOd wants to do something in us so he can do something extraordinary through us - and faith in Jesus is the key.
Through unpacking the biblical story of Gideon, John encourages us to listen to God's call to us and then respond obediently using anything we have
With characteristic humour alongside deep analysis and impactful biblical insight, Sam explains how faith in God can cast out fear and reveal God’s love.
From a story in the book of Daniel about the “Three Amigos” (Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego) Sam Paul Pili reveals that our faith is the antidote to fear. The hand of God on our life to save, provide, protect and bless is bigger than the hand of any malevolent force coming against us.
Jesus is the one who is the fourth man in the fiery furnace, the object of our faith and the power for us to bless and unify others.
Josh Irwin comes to this weeks PM service with a message called "Where's The Faith" where he explores the depths of belief and spirituality through the lens of John 20:24-29, which details Thomas's encounter with the resurrected Jesus. Through this powerful story, Josh delves into the themes of doubt, belief, and the role of faith in our relationship with God. Join us as we seek to better understand the transformative power of faith and how it can shape our lives for the better.
Join us for our first challenger of 2023 called "Growing in Faith" where Ps Sue uses the passage of 1 Samuel 1-15 aka the story of David and Goliath and explore the lessons it holds for our own spiritual growth.
Through this timeless tale, we will learn about the power of trust, courage, and perseverance in our own faith journeys. Whether you're just starting out on your spiritual path or looking to deepen your relationship with God, this episode of "Growing in Faith" is not to be missed.
John Crawford returns with an amazing message called "The Game Changer" as he delves into the transformative power of the early Christian church as seen in the book of Acts chapters 20-24.
Join us as we explore the impact of Paul's leadership and teachings on the spread of the gospel and the establishment of Christian communities. From his farewell address to the elders of the church in Ephesus to his arrest and trial in Jerusalem, we'll uncover the challenges and triumphs of this influential apostle and the message that continues to shape the faith of believers today.
Tune in for an in-depth look at the book of Acts and the game-changing events that shaped the early church.
In this episode of our podcast, Naomi dives into the powerful message of unity in Christ as seen in the book of Acts chapter 10. Through the story of Peter and Cornelius, Naomi explores how God breaks down barriers of race and class to bring all people into His family. We discuss the challenges and blessings of living in unity with those who may be different from us, and how this message applies to our own lives and communities today.
Join us as we explore the depths of God's love and grace through the lens of Acts chapter 10.
Have you ever felt a spiritual calling? In this weeks PM message, Ps Sue goes deep into Acts 9:1-22 to explore the incredible story of Saul's encounter with the Lord. As we learn of Saul's transformation from persecutor to missionary, find out how the same calling can be felt in our own lives today! Join us as we examine this fascinating passage and discover what it means to truly understand and follow a spiritual calling.
Are you curious about the power of God and the supernatural encounters in Acts 13:1-12? In this weeks Sunday AM sermon, Ps Paul West takes us through the text to uncover the fascinating power encounters and show you how it relates to our lives today. He goes on to explain how these stories can help us better understand God's power and authority in our lives.
In Acts 8 we read a story about Simon the Magician. His conversion sparked a revival which prompted the Apostles to send Peter and John to help them to receive the Holy Spirit. Spring boarding from this story to what it means to have a personal relationship with God through knowing Jesus, Ps Sam Paul discusses the intimacy we can have with God and the place of the Holy Spirit in giving us access to all of the benefits of being a part of the Kingdom of God.
Don’t miss this faith building message
Ps Sue kicks off 2023 with the message on What are you taking into 2023 as part of the Book of Acts series we started before Advent.
So what are you personally taking into 2023? Is it baggage from a year ago or more. And if so, why leave that baggage in 2022 and start fresh
The prophets and the writings of the Jewish people had pointed to the coming of a saviour for thousands of years. And yet many of them missed him. When the Magi learned of the place of Jesus birth their response was hugely different to that of King Herod. These “magicians “ from the East recognised and accepted the baby in the manger whereas the religious and civic leaders rejected him.
Bev asks us to think outside of the religious and cultural boxes we have formed around the Christmas story and see as God sees, loving all people, especially the marginalised, poor and needy. She outlines the purpose incarnation and asks us to embrace changes of direction as we hear God speaking to us personally.
A deeper understanding of what God wants to do in us and in the world leads us to confidence in coming to him and serving him.
The gap we sometimes perceive between what we hope for and what God wills and does or does not do, can be confusing and disappointing. This can lead to anger and even ongoing bitterness.
Naomi helps us to see that Gods route to glory is born from his perfect love and knowledge, and results in our wholeness. In John 17 Jesus reveals what God hopes for - that we would be with Jesus in all things.
To find out why he wants this you will need to hear out this powerful message.
John Crawford continues our look into Advent speaking at all 3 services at The Grainery Church Steel River Campus
Bev Murrill kicks off our first week into Advent speaking at all 3 services at The Grainery Church Steel River Campus
Josh Irwin comes with a sermon looking at Acts Chapter 4 where Jesus has finished his ministry and is the starting point of his church just after he goes to heaven where his followers start spreading his message to other locations to hear Gods Word
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Ps Sue Irwin unpacks these concept out of Acts 4 where she uses the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus to encourage us to experience the power of the Spirit in our own lives
John Crawford comes and speaks at all 3 Steel River Sunday services as he unpacks and brings an amazing message on The Book of Acts
Damon comes with a message that unpacks Acts Chapter 2 in this weeks PM message as we go through The Book of Acts
Ps Sue kicks off our next topic with The Book of Acts exploring the meaning of repentance, the power of God expressed in humility, being filled with the power of God and the true meaning of the Kingdom of God.
A message of good news - of blessing flowing through us to a world in need of a real experience and knowledge of God.
Ps Phil Cosgrove speaks both at our Steel River Campus and Maitland Campus on Making Sense of Life and focusing on the subject on "Truth". What is truth to you? Is your truth the same as other peoples? Phil Cosgrove breaks down on this topic as we come to the conclusion of The Book of John
John Crawford comes to our PM service with an amazing message focusing on beauty and how everything that God creates is "beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11) as we journey through the book of John with John 20:1-18 as the messages's main bible reading
Asher Morrison continues our journey through The Book of John and is looking at John 9 where Jesus gives sight to a blind man. Asher uses the topic of "Freedom" creates an amazing message using the John 9 story as the example. He gives us an insight of how this mans life changed both in the good and the bad during the time of Jesus's ministry.
Bev Murrill continues journey through The Book of John with the story of The Woman At The Well in John 4:4-42 where she looks at the woman in the story from a different perspective ever since she was misrepresented since The Great Reformation over 500 years ago
Roger Sutton who is the Founder of Gather Movement in the UK is our international guest speaker for this weeks AM service where he tals about how each one of us views life very differently and will be telling us how God is working in the UK especially in Greater Manchester where he is located.
On this weeks Grainery Church podcast, Youth Pastor Jake Divens continues our journey through The Book of John with John 7:3-8 where Jesus tells his brothers that he won't join the feast as at the time, they were part of the group that didn't believe he did miracles. Jake asks the important question. Do you go with your Head...or with your Heart???
Mark Hallet brings us a brand new seminar called "Deeper: Signs of The Times". This seminar has been edited and split into four parts. Part IV
Mark Hallet brings us a brand new seminar called "Deeper: Signs of The Times". This seminar has been edited and split into four parts. Part III
Mark Hallet brings us a brand new seminar called "Deeper: Signs of The Times". This seminar has been edited and split into four parts. Part II
Mark Hallet brings us a brand new seminar called "Deeper: Signs of The Times". This seminar has been edited and split into four parts. Part I
In this weeks Grainery Church sermon and continuing on with The Book of John, Naomi Fraser returns with an amazing message on how we can find true spiritual nourishment with God.
Damon Herington who is one of our Youth Ministries Leaders comes and gives an amazing message on receiving the Power from God at our 6pm service.
Ps Paul West starts week 2 of our journey through Book of John on the topic of Power at our Grainery Steel River Campus AM message.
From Ephesians 6:10-19 Amy eloquently and using visuals and personal stories that will shock even the hardest heart, speaks of an “unseen battle”. She talks about this passage as a “call to arms”. Evil is the enemy. Evil personified in humans destroys the life of humans. God’s armour is essential in this battle- a battle which was won in Christ by his resurrection power. This enables us to have an assurance of victory. The captives are being set free. The broken are being healed.
The world is full of injustice and non of us like it. After defining justice as it means to God, and giving examples of what justice is not, Pastor Sue explores the story of the woman caught in adultery found in John 8. From international relations to our interpersonal relationships Sue applies biblical principles to Gods call on Christians to bring light into the world in the form of spiritual warfare - salvation and a repentant life of humble reliance on God. She concludes that we need to trust in the saving grace of Jesus - no pretence, just accepting Jesus our advocate and rejecting the kingdom of darkness.
This week, The Grainery Church celebrates 25 years where our current and foundin Pastors talk about the past, present and future of this church. Richard and Lea Rule, founding pastors of the Grainery Church, speak of the foundation years of the Grainery. Pastor Sue Irwin shares how the current era in the Western world is a time of change which is an age of anxiety, politicisation and polarisation, and a time of individualism. She links this to the present day role of the church to bring Gods love , his Spirit and his gospel to our society. To us this requires some self evaluation, building on our strengths as a church and working on our weaknesses. Sue goes on to ask “Where are we going?”. Focusing us on a coming revival and rebirth of the church, she encourages us to be thoroughly filled with God’s Spirit and continue as disciples and disciple makers.
Foundations make a big difference. Jesus is the firm foundation upon which the Bible tells us to build our life. This is how we will flourish. It is what it means to be a “disciple” - a committed follower of Jesus. Sue explains how this foundation begins - with repentance and faith which are the beginning of Christian character and of real, fulfilling life (as opposed to rule following life). You don’t do to become - you do because you are! Storms will come to everyone and Sue outlines how we can put the words, works and ways of Jesus into practice in our own life, giving practical examples of how we can prosper and “reign” in life.
What is the best way to change society? Perhaps it’s to tell an alternative story ie the gospel story, Love God, Love your neighbour, Live it in a lost world which is without hope, war or climate change. Tim suggests that these have led the world again to the geo-political problem of famine. He suggests that humility is a foreign value in this increasingly secular nation and that we need to understand the times in which we live as Christians. In this weeks sermon from our Steel River Campus, Tim will bring a story which answers the most basic questions of life and brings a unity and love which transcends nationalism and any other “ism”.
Abundant life is inextricably linked to our salvation and our relationships with other people - the “golden rule” is at the centre of this. “Do unto others…” said Jesus. He also talked about the “broad gate” and the “narrow gate”. For our PM message at Steel River this week, we have one of our Maitland Campus Pastors Phillip Cosgrove come and preach as we get closer to the end of The Book of Matthew.
Abundant life is inextricably linked to our salvation and our relationships with other people - the “golden rule” is at the centre of this. “Do unto others…” said Jesus. He also talked about the “broad gate” and the “narrow gate”. Sue explains how nothing we can do ourselves can lead to salvation. Anyone who preaches anything other than the cross of Christ as the way of salvation is a “sheep in wolves clothing “ Sue states. She outlines what the “fruit of our salvation “ looks like - the “fruit of the Spirit”.
How we live, what we need and desire. and what we focus on dictate how we pray. Bev begins with Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden to explain how shame, fear and rejection have become shapers of what we need and desire. She uses biblical, historical, relaxant and personal examples to show how the corruption of human nature has caused our asking, seeking and knocking to often become shaped by the patterns and culture and thinking of this world. What is the answer to this dilemma? This message will explain the call upon believers to reject both the world and Christendom, embracing instead an intimacy with Jesus which changes us and empowers our prayers.
Theo Rules speaks on Matthew 7:1-6 at our Maitland and Steel River Campus as we continue through The Gospel of Matthew where he explains that we should not judge people otherwise we too will be judged. This bible verse is as important as our daily lives when we are very easy to judge people on different aspects of their lives that might look different to ours.
Do you enjoy being judged by others? It hurts. You can feel belittled, upset and condemned. Yet we not only receive it but sometimes we give it out! Christians are definitely called to wise discernment and to make decisions based on the guidance of God’s Word and the Spirit’s prompting. However, Sue points out that our judgement of others, which is often based on our own imperfect views of what is important in life, or on presumptions about people’s motives, can mask our own failings - the “plank in our own eye”. Rather, she encourages us to allow God to do surgery on our own hearts and remove our “plank”, and she teaches us how to remove a “speck”!
Have you seen how in today's society that people are more worried than ever before? Josh speaks an amazing sermon at our Steel River & Maitland Campus on how Jesus knows that we are going worry with things like food, clothing, accomodation but wants us to have a complete perspective shift in how we think of things as Jesus sees us as more valuable than we think.
Mortgage payments, international threats to our security, the cost of living, Covid, vaccination mandates, health issues, relationships. What do you worry about when you wake up? In unpacking these verses Sue looks holistically at our human condition - the real inner you. Rather than telling us “just don’t worry “ Jesus speaks of the value of human individuals to God. Sue concludes that if we truly understand and experience Gods love for us, responding by seeking Gods kingdom first, we will not need to worry as God meets your deepest needs.
In this weeks PM sermon as we continue through Book of Matthew. Naomi Fraser comes with the topic of Spiritual Blindess and how we need to move our focus on earthly possessions towards God.
We are in the middle of our current series "Book of Matthew" where we are looking at the Sermon of the Mount with the bible verse for this week from Matthew 6:16-24 where Asher gives us a very important question: "What are the desires of our heart"? What Asher teaches us in this weeks AM message at our Steel River Campus is that first need reflect and ask ourselves, what are the desires of our heart?. Second, we are to surrender our desires and trade them with the desires of God's heart Finally, we are to be transformed to love like God loves. This podcast contains audio from the theme tune to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968 - 2001)
In this week's Grainery Church PM sermon, Jake Divens continues on the Book of Matthew and preaches on prayer.
On this week's Grainery Church AM sermon, Pastor Paul West continues going through Matthew and talks about prayer.
What is the fruit of your daily life? What surrounds you and follows you and what results from your words and actions? We are not saved by our actions but our actions result from our salvation. So, do you live out your love for God by loving others, even your enemies? Sue encourages us to be filled with God’s Spirit, experience God’s love and value in Jesus, and live out that fullness in joyful love of others. The reward will be a profound and palpable sense of God’s acceptance, esteem and regard. We will then not crave the esteem of the world and won’t live that out in showy behaviour living out of an empty live tank. Instead we will be givers and bringers of justice, dignity and value to others.
Divorce, Adultery, Lust, Judgement. Hate. Murder. Revenge. They are all a part of the human condition and in this passage Jesus addresses the human condition. He gives a key to an overflowing and abundant life. It goes beyond appearance management to heart change. Fulfilling the desires of our own heart in our own way will be destructive to a thriving in life. Allowing God to renew our hearts, leads us to become a free, peaceable, loving person.
Divorce, Adultery, Lust, Judgement, Hate, Murder & Revenge. These are all a part of the human condition and in this passage Jesus addresses the human condition. He gives a key to an overflowing and abundant life. It goes beyond appearance management to heart change. Fulfilling the desires of our own heart in our own way will be destructive to a thriving in life. Allowing God to renew our hearts, leads us to become a free, peaceable, loving person. This is Pastor Sue’s thesis - be filled with God’s Spirit daily, accept his love and grace in Jesus, then you will be the answer to the human condition!
Jake Divens continues our current topic of "The Book of Matthew" in this week's PM message with Matthew 5:17-20 where he explains how when Jesus was preaching on the hill, what Jesus was saying was that everything that was written in the Old Testament was pointing towards him and to prepare the way for his coming and fulfilment of the Law. He goes on to say that he didn't come to get rid of the old laws but to shift our perspective
The Bible today has many authors with many different types of literature written over thousands of years. In this week's AM message, Theo preaches that Jesus taught that the Bible is true, that it is meant to belived in obedience, and that Jesus shows us how to obey the Bible (through the lens of Jesus). He gives a careful apologetic for the authenticity and authority of the Christian Bible. Pointing out that Jesus is the fulfilment of the Old Testament “law”, Theo encourages us to grow into a shining example of who Jesus is.
We are called to influence the world around us - and small things can bring a big change. Springboarding from the iconic Australian poem “My Country” by Dorothea Mackellar, Asher unpacks the idea that one young girl’s creativity helped to change the perception of a nation towards its country. Likewise in the historical setting of the Gospel of Matthew, a difficult time for the Jews, Jesus brought a whole new perspective on the kingdom of God. It involved rejoicing in the face of persecution. It involved influencing the flavour and perspectives of our world. Don’t give up on the world and don’t blend in. Be a true influencer, flowing from your intimacy with Jesus.
Ps Sue kicks off our next topic in our 2022 series of "Known and Be Known" with the Gospel of Matthew where she looks at Chapter 5 where Jesus is preaching on the mountainside where he preaches about the Beatitudes or "the 8 blessings"
Naomi Fraser finishes our topic of going through the Book of Luke with her sermon on the Parable of the Blind Man. She also spoke at our Maitland Campus that same day
In our final week of going through the Book of Luke. In our AM service, Ps Sue looks at the story of the blind man in Luke 18:35-43 and goes through the story and explains different aspects of the story.
Ps Sue looks at the story of the 10 lepers where she focuses on two different aspects of the story: The Laws of the Kingdom The Laws of the People
She talks about how when all 10 lepers got healed, only the Samaritan came back to ask for forgiveness from Jesus. Ps Sue reminds us that we should always give praise to God especially when he forgives our sins
In this weeks AM sermon, Theo Rule is speaking on the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers but focuses on the one Samaritan leper and the history of Israel at the time of Jesus
From the biblical story of Deborah, Sue brings a message of hope. Life can be exhausting but mothers can help to model and impart hope. She encourages women to rise up as a mother of influence. Deborah knew the ways of the Lord, she understood servant leadership and she was confident in the power of God. Bringing these principles from stories in Deborah’s life, Sue shows how a woman who praises God and follows his leading in the good times and the bad times can impact her world for good.
In this week's PM sermon. Jake Divens looks at the story of Jesus Healing on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17) and how back in 1st Century AD, you weren't allowed to do much on the Sabbath and looks at the different points of views from the three main characters in this story: Jesus, the woman who was crippled for over 18yrs and the Head of the Synagogue
What is the message of the Bible? From eternity past to eternity future Neville unpacks Gods plan for mankind - creation, fall, redemption, coming consummation. Applying this to indigenous history and culture, and to Gods call to us to reach all ethnic, social and gender groups, he speaks of the call on Christians to go, preach, baptise and teach. Introducing the mission, work and workers of BCA, Neville inspires us to become an outward looking mission force.
Bev Murrill looks at the classic story of the feeding of the five thousand and links it up with Matthew 25:14-30 with the message of how instead of us handing out loaves of bread and fish, what we are handing out is how we use the talents God has given us and serve him. Recording was taken from Grainery Church Online on 24th April 2022
Paul West talks on Luke 9:10-17 which is the story of Jesus feeding the Five-Thousand and focuses on culture of hospitality in the Middle East from the time of the Old Testament to 21st Century.
In John 20 Jesus is noted as appearing to the disciples and three times telling them “peace be with you”. Peace with God. Peace with self. Peace with others. Social peace. National or international peace. They can be based on false peace - just don’t care. They can be based on avoidance - escapism into different soul soothing endeavours. They can be based on forced peace - ending conflict by force. None of these result in real, lasting peace. In our Easter PM service, Josh explains the source of real, lasting, fixed peace, peace and its ultimate expression as God’s “shalom”. You can’t have the peace which comes from the “Prince of peace” without radical obedience to his rule.
In our AM Easter Sunday service, Asher Morrison returns to bring an amazing sermon around the topic of Peace and the different types of peace in today's society and how Jesus brings the best peace by sacrificing himself to save us from sin
On this special Grianery Church Podcast. Four Grainery members share aspects of the meaning of Good Friday: Ps Sue Irwin speaks of the sin in our lives and the release and forgiveness we have in Jesus - he frees us from confemnation. Theo Rule shares how isolation is a curse. From the first sin of mankind, through the first murder when Cain hated his brother and killed him, and even in our own lives. heo declares that in Jesus. Damon Herrington gives his testimony with his story of coming to faith in Jesus and how it changed his life. Bev Murrill's dramatic and poetic account of Jesus'death and resurrection and their implications in our lives moves us through tears to joy and exultation.
With Palm Sunday, Ps Sue Irwin continues through the Book of Luke with the miracle of healing of the daughter of a synagogue leader and the healing of a woman who was bleeding for 12 years. As we get closer to Easter, we remember how Jesus came to save us which is why he came on a donkey which means "arrival in peace" and not on a horse like a war-waging king
In this weeks Sunday message, Kay Hodge who has worked as a missionary with her husband in Nigeria shares God’s call into mission work and the difficulties that Nigeria has faced with the violent, fundamentalist, Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram active in committing shocking atrocities- especially against Christians. In this setting the Hodge family have brought the gospel message- sharing thelove of God and the forgiveness found in Jesus, which can set even the hardest and most burdened of hearts free. She tells stories of first hand experiences of violence and vitriolic behaviour into which God intervened and brought a peace which shows he is the King of Creation and the Lord of Liberty.
On this weeks Grainery Sunday podcast, we have guest speaker Tim Hanna from Brisbane who used be CEO of Compassion until early 2020 who comes and continues going through the Book of Luke with Chapter 8: 22-25 where he talks about having faith in God and uses people from the Book of Luke who stepped out in faith to be close to Jesus when he was preaching.
In this week's Grainery Church Sunday podcast, Theo Rule looks at Luke 7:11-17 that looks at the story of Jesus raising a man that was dead back to life. Theo's message talks about the important topic of death and the meaning of it in our lives as humans.
On this week's Grainery Sunday Podcast, Asher encourages us to experience what it means to belong to God, wanted, adopted, part of a family. Whilst the past couple of years have been dominated by fear, Jesus has a power and authority over war, pandemics, and worldly circumstances , and Asher takes us to a place where we can conquer over fear - by faith in Jesus. God’s words and works are incredibly powerful, more powerful than our feelings, situations, or addictions. Jesus is the saviour for everybody so we are led to make sure that we have accepted Jesus as our saviour and are actively receiving him as our Lord.
In this weeks PM podcast, Josh Irwin looks at the story of Jesus who forgave and healed a paralysed man in the Book of Luke.
Sue addresses our internal world - longings, desires, motivations and intentions. Uncontrollable but known to God - Jesus “knew the thoughts of their hearts”. But here is the hope of the Christian - freedom from sinful and self righteous thoughts, from a paralysing hopelessness, forgiveness of sin, healing for our bodies. Sue asks us who we identify with in this story and encourages us to analyse the thoughts of our own hearts, keeping our eyes focused on Jesus and on bringing ourselves and others to Jesus in faith, hope and boldness based on God’s mercy.
In our evening Sunday Podcast, Bev Murrill looks at Luke Ch 5 and goes into detail on how the life of someone living during the time of Jesus can change dramatically if they are classified as a leper. And that when Jesus came, he came to be with those who were marginalized and wanted to be saved .
On this week's Grainery Church AM podcast, Theo Rule continues going through the Book of Luke with the story of Jesus healing the man with leprosy and describes how the man with leprosy represents how broken humanity is and that because of Jesus dying on the cross, we are fixed.
Theo Rule speaks in this weeks PM message as we continue on our 2022 theme of "Known and Be Known" with his message around Luke Ch 4 and as we understand the person that is Jeus and his authority.
In this weeks Sunday AM podcast, we begin our 2022 series by focussing on the Biblical book of Luke Chapter 4. In the book of Luke we find many very personal stories of Jesus healing people, delivering people from demonic oppression, calling them to follow him. Sue asks if we understand who the common enemy of Christians is. It is not people who disagree with us, but is rather the Devil, and this first miracle is a deliverance from the power of the Devil. We are then encouraged to live with that same authority over all of the works of the enemy.
On this weeks Sunday podcast, Ps Sue explains how Christianity is “good news”. Jesus’ death and resurrection was not all about “good advice” and Sue explores being “born again” as an entry point into a new adventure with God which transforms all of life. Centering our focus on what it means to love as God loves us. Sue calls us to be known by our love, and to repent of the ugly ways we have presented who God is to a world in dire need of his love.
In this week's Sunday message. Professor John Attia takes us back to 1st Century AD drawing us into the biblical accounts of what it was like back then using 3 key biblical passages to explain their historical, political, cultural and religious contexts.
In this week's Sunday AM message, Theo Rule continues on the topic of "Foundations" as he goes through the book of Nehemiah
In this week's AM message, Ps Sue Irwin speaks on the ministry of reconciliation as we continue on the topic of "Foundations
Every Christian is called to be a witness for Jesus Christ! In our Sunday PM message, Josh Irwin looks at how we can become "Christian" Christian for God.
Naomi Fraser is this week's Sunday AM preacher where she talks about why we need to stop thinking we need to be perfect for God in everyday life. So what does it mean when we say that our goal in life should be to know God? What are some of the benefits of knowing Him? How can you start your journey today? Find out more about how knowing and understanding God's character and His love for us can help you live a better life!
Ps Sue Irwin takes us through the story of Nicodemus who visted Jesus in John 3 and draws out the foundational truths of our salvation
Want to know how you can be like Jesus? On the first Sunday message of 2022. Ps Sue Irwin starts the year with the topic of "Foundations", Ps Sue Irwin shares her thoughts on what it means to live your life in a way that is reflective of the person and teachings of Jesus.
Are you excited by Christmas? From John 3:16 Asher explains who Jesus is and why he came to earth - not for a holiday but for a rescue mission. He came to save us from ourselves, and that is exciting as we could never have rescued ourselves. Using a modern day parable of an asteroid hitting the earth, Asher explains how, when a person becomes aware of what they have been rescued from, the celebration takes on a whole new depth. The gospel (good news) is built into the Christmas story and if you want some real meaning in your Christmas, this is where you will find it.
Have you ever wondered why one of the ways we celebrate Christmas is with putting up lights? If you put up lights, are you someone who just wants to do things basic and put up nice flashing lights or are you someone that goes all out just like the character Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation who goes all out and knocks out the entire suburbs electricity? On this week's Grainery Church Sunday Message, Ps Paul West takes us back to 168BC where empires were changing through to when Jesus was born to answer the question "Why do we put up lights at Christmas"? Podcast was recorded for Grainery Church Online on 19th December 2021
In this week's Grainery Sunday message, Matt speaks into the topic of conflicting messages. The first Christmas was a surprise to everyone who experienced it. For several centuries God had stopped speaking to his Chosen People through his prophets. But something else was happening. The prophetic message was being renewed, transmitted by angels and prophets. To Mary. To Joseph. To Elizabeth and Zechariah. To Simeon. To Wise Men and Shepherds. Are we hearing God speak to us or have we lost connection? Today is the time for the church to renew our commitment, our connection and our transmission of the music of Gods love to a lost and dark world. This podcast was taken from Grainery Church Online
On this week's Grainery Sunday message, Pastor Sue Irwin kicks off our final topic for 2021 with "Come Let Us Adore Him" as we look at the Wise Men or the Magi in Matthew 2:1-2.
In this week's message, Ps Paul West explores the results of Covid, and government responses to Covid, on the mental health of Australians. Touching on psychosomatic responses and relating these also to our human spirit, we are led to consider how our salvation impacts our whole being - body , soul and spirit. This week's bible verse is from Philippians 4:6-7 and this message applies these to the common anxieties Australians are facing. We are encouraged to do our part in overcoming anxiety, but also to place our faith in God by prayer and thanksgiving. The result is an overflow of God’s amazing peace in our lives.
We can connect with God at any time. Connecting with him includes bringing our needs to him, but so much more. From the gospels, using three short stories, Jake shows just how relatable and receptive to our prayers God is: Jesus frustrated, yet teaching about mountain moving faith. Jesus experiencing emotional pain, yet demonstrating mountain moving faith. Jesus experiencing criticism, yet he displayed a totally practical faith. We can totally relate to Jesus - because we experience the same emotions and life challenges. Jake encourages us to relate to the humanity of Jesus as well as his divinity.
What does it actually mean to come to God in prayer? Sue asks us to think of one thing right now that you want to bring to God in prayer? She encourages us to envision God as a loving Heavenly Father and us as his beloved child and heir.
The Father disciplines us but also forgives us - both because he loves us. Leading us in a guided reflection on God’s fatherhood, Sue helps us to receive God’s delight and love, receive his forgiveness and grace, receive his peace and the assurance of his listening ear to your prayer.
Then it’s time for prayer - led by God, in plume with his word, and activating Gods’ intervention on your behalf.
In this week's Grainery Sunday Message, Theo takes us through the acronym ACTS as a teaching tool on prayer:
A for adoration C for confession T for thanksgiving S for supplication
He outlines these ways of relating to God and their impact on our lives. Adoration can be humbling and free us to keep God foremost as creator and shepherd, father and guide in our own lives. Confession allows us to experience the mercy and transformation of God. Thanksgiving allows us to be people who focus on gratitude and avoid pessimism. Good things and bad things- God is still God in the midst of our ups and downs. Supplication comes last on our list as the way we bring our needs and the needs of others to God is hugely impacted by our prayers postures of adoration, confession and thanksgiving.
On this month's episode of Conversations with Ps Sam Paul Pilli, he is interviewing Ps Steve Blake who minsters overseas in Asia and the Pacific.
Ps Steve Blake is originally from country Victoria in a church family and is a legend in planting new churches around Australia and overseas. His family still works within their own local churches here in Australia or in Vanuatu.
He talks about how he supported his family fiancially while he worked in different countries around the world and how countries he works in have battled the pandemic.
In this week's Sunday Podcast, Sue asks us wheter our faith has become too passive. Do we lack power in our living out of the Christian life?
To be fully human and achieve our God given destiny, Sue encourages us to know God personally, use the Holy Spirit power of God in us for God's good purposes and move in the gifts of the Spirit as we do his will.
NOTE: In the video message, there were two film clips. Due to copyright reasons we are unable to use them in the podcast
Ps Mark Nelson from Saint Church in London speaks how the Holy Spirit is an advocate, encourager, rescuer, companion and friend for us. We are never alone in life's ups and downs as the Holy Spirit is with us helping us.
This weeks sermon consist of a panel that consist of Ps Sue Irwin (Pastor of The Grainery Church), Professor John Attia (Laureate Professor of Medicine at University of Newcatle), Mark Wojcik and Lauren Enright (members of the Sustain Ministry at The Grainery Church) who explore biblical teaching teachings and practical activities that focus on our stewardship of God's creation.
Bringing scientific perspectives and contributions to stewardship alongside personal testimony, they paint a highly motivating picture of the beauty and gragility of the world in which we live and our role in sustainably caring for the enironment
On this month's podcast. Ps Sam interviews Sarah Breusch who is a lawyer from the University of Newcastle and talks about what is a will and how a will is important and useful when you pass away and make things easier for your family.
4 Grainery Missionary couples around the world today give mini messages on our current topic of "Giving Generously".
John & Kay Hodge in Nigeria speak into the narrative and mandate of mission in scripture, from Eden to God’s chosen people, Israel, to the words of the prophets to God himself on mission to save the world through Jesus.
Marty & Amy Wilson in Vanuatu share their calling to vocational education and health through a school and local villages.
Brent & Heather Madsen in Mexico speak of mobilising young people to mission through their setting up a YWAM base in Mazatlan, Mexico. The lives of young people are being transformed as they not only share the gospel and write redemption stories, but also share Gods love through programs such as building homes for the homeless.
Pete and Rahel Burgess in Netherlands are making disciples at YWAM Amsterdam, then releasing them into mission from their own surroundings to the most remote of untracked people groups.
They leave us with the challenge… how can we be involved in the world-wide missionary calling of the church? Ask the Holy Spirit what your part is in extending the Kingdom of God around the world.
Dave explains The biblical emphasis on justice and righteousness and our role as followers of Jesus in bringing the kingdom of God to earth by working to end injustice.
Beginning with the perfection of Eden and working through Gods plan for his chosen people, Israel, to us as the Church of Jesus, Dave calls us to be active participants in processes which put an end to injustice- especially slavery and indentured bondage.
This is a wake up call to comfortable Western Christians, living in wealth and freedom, to identify with, and become activists for, those suffering injustice and bondage.
Matt Darvas, one of our Mission & Justice Pastors kicks off the next topic of "Live Generously" in our 2021 theme of "Ï Gave My Life Away and Now I..." and talks about how we can live generously with Jesus Christ through our community outside of church and within the church.
Starting with Matthew 7:7-11, Graeme reveals the "Father heart of God", a Father who wants everyone to have an unconditional, strong relationship with him.
He never rejects us, always is there for us, desiring to communicate with us and wanting us to find the answers and resources that we need. He is always ät home" for us. Ask, seek and knock and you will find the peace and satisfaction of experiencing the father heart of God.
Graeme prays into these attributes of God, and into these opportunities that we have to know him, overcoming any pain and blockages which may have resulted from our own imperfect childhood experience of being fathered.
Theo helps us to look not only at world events to see the terrible effects of human sinfulness, of our human nature which can tend towards hatred and animosity.
He asks us also to consider our own personal experiences of others’ sin and then our own knowledge of our own lives, which fall far short of God’s standards of holiness.
He explores why we are this way, looking at the story of the fall of mankind into rebellion against God and into the natural consequences of this for human nature and society.
The good news of scripture is that Jesus came from heaven to earth, resisting temptation, choosing grace and forgiveness, prizing truth over pride, living love, willingly giving his life for us.
The cycle of revenge and hatred was finished because of what Jesus did on the cross. The fall of man is now reversed and love and grace and reconciliation can now replace animosity and bitterness and separation.
Theo encourages us to undo the curse of the fall by choosing grace.
On this months Grainery VIP Podcast. Ps Sam Paul is interviewing Lyn Brown on her life and about two people in her life. Her husband Alex and her father, World War II digger Dick Payton
On this week's Sunday podcast. Ps Sue Irwin talks about how if we trust and believe in God, we get to experience God's grace.
Through the message, Sue encourages us to live our lives full of GOds grace and living graciously towards others. Go above and beyond in showing gracious kindess to someone this week
Pastor sue introduces our series on "Extend Grace". She stresses the authority that is found in receiving and giving grace.
Grace is a new way of seeing. It is our entry point into the Kingdom of God - where we come under His authority and receive His authority by dying to our old selfish life. Grace happens through prayer and activates the blessing of God in every area of our lives, enabling us to live the "life in all its fulness" that he promises.
When grace is entered into, we can expect hope, kingdom "riches", and a life of power to be increasingly manifested in our lives. Forgiveness is an essential part of grace, received when we come to God in repentance. Once received it needs to be passed on - that is the kingdom of God in operation.
Sue encourages us to understand, experience, and share these aspects of grace in all the situations and relationships we encounter in life.
Asher Morrison continues on the topic of "I Gave My Life Away and Now I Delight in God" with a great message on having satisfaction with God with bible verses from the Books of Psalm, Philipians, Revelations and Matthew.
Sharing stories of God’s saving work in his life, Paul illustrates how God delights in us in so many ways. Stories of near drownings and being rescued from life-threatening outlaw motorcycle groups lead to an encouragement to delight in God every day.
Paul explains how in both good times and challenging times life is better when we trust and delight in the God whose mercies are new every morning.
Josh Irwin speaks in our PM service continuing on our current topic of "I Gave My Life Away and I Delight in God as he talks about how we should be not just living our life but to live in the presence of God
What does it mean to “delight in the Lord”?
We can delight in many things, but when challenges and dark times in life arise, how can we delight in the Lord?
Using examples from everyday life, Matt encourages us to take regular moments to stop, appreciate and be fully satisfied with God in our lives. He helps us to remember to pause and reflect on God’s work in creation and in salvation. He helps us to reflect on the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives and the sustenance of his presence.
In the first Grainery VIP podcast, Ps Sam Paul Pilli interviews Mark & Pam Hallett on their work, life and how God has been intertwined in their lifes doing God's work all around the world.
Based on Psalm 37:4-6, Sue explains what it means to “delight” in the Lord.
Being soft, luxurious and pliable before God is about our heart attitudes. What are the “desires of your heart?” What is at the centre of your feelings, will and intellect? Acceptance? Affirmation? Success? And where do you look for these?
Seeking the kingdom of God above all other things will lead to the fulfilment of the deepest, strongest, innermost longings of your soul.
Sue shows us how to do this not only in the good times but also in the challenging times, even to the point of learning how to die well!
As you delight in him you will be a blessing to others.
Peter Low, who is the founder of 100x and Calvary comes to speak at Grainery Church's Mens Breakfast where he talks on our identity of men and the purpose that God has created for us.
For more information on Peter Low:
100x - www.100x.com.au Calvary - https://hillsong.com/contributor/peter-low/
As a Kamilaroi woman, Aunty Donna has an incredible testimony. Torn from her birth family in Coonamble as a child and sent to Newcastle to be raised by a white family.
This year's NAIDOC them is "Heal Country". This message will inspire you to think about our history from an Aboriginal perspective, and about the gratitude many Aboriginal communitites feel for the coming of the good news of salvation in Jesus.
She shares stories of the gospel coming to the Torres Straight Islands, bringing light into dark places, and speaks of the hope that faith in Jesus brings into the dark night of the soul faced by many indigenous people.
Did you go to Sunday school as a child?
Paul outlines the place of both the Rhema and the Logos in the life of a believeer. He ties this in with our need for both the word of God and the Spirit of God in order that we might grow up to maturity as Christians.
He warns of the dangers of imbalance which can lead to Christians and churches either falling prey to dry intellectualism or, alternatively, to dangerous faith built on an unsure foundation.
Theo Rule continues our current topic of "Embrace The Word" where he talks about John 1 and finding our identity.
Ryan Zweygartt continues on our 2021 topic of "I Gave My Life Away and now I..." as we Embrace His Work learning more about God through the story of Mary and Martha and how we are like these two women in our everyday lives.
In this weeks AM podcast, Asher talks about the story of Esther from the Old Testament where he encourages us to vaccinate ourselves against comfort and discontent by welcoming risk, sacrificing some of our comfort, resources and time in obedience to and service to God.
On this week's Grainery Church PM podcast, Jake Divens starts on our new topic "Embrace The Word" around the reading of Joshua 1:1-9 while adding a unique way of encorporating football into how we can embrace God's word.
In this weeks Sunday AM podcast, Sue presents Psalm 23 as an opportunity to believe and embrace God's word and explains the "why" of reading the Bible.
We have three pastors from the church come and talk about worship.
Ps Stu speaks into the place of worship as we gather in Jesus' name. He encourages us to bring our whole being to worship the Lord, using our gifts, talents, experience and hearts
Ps Sue shows how everything changes when we know that we are God's and he dearly loves us. Coming together to worship Jesus and keeping our eyes on him
From the story of Samuel 2 of David dancing with the Lord, Paul challenges us to be worshippers and not mockers. Using three personal stories Paul encourages listeners to keep worship free and open.
What legacy will you leave when you depart this life? What do you envisage the last words you speak to be?
Theo unpacks the final wishes of Paul the Apostle. Paul's great desire was that the truth and power of the good news of Jesus would bbe preached and communicated accurately and powerfully.
Ps Sue starts off the next topic of our 2021 Theme "I Gave My Life Away and Now I..." with "Gather in His Name'
God is relentlessly pursuing our freedom and the freedom of others - in many areas.
Rachel opens her heart and shares out of her own experience of growing up as a child in a cult. Using the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, Rachel talks about getting our life together after difficult life experiences.
Grief and fear can bind us to the old ways and places and stop us from finding freedom by moving ahead in our lives. A second (and more) chance activated by hope is ours in our walk with God. God can bring freedom to impossible situations.
Don’t give up hope.
The Roman Emperor Nero was one of the greatest persecutors of Christians who ever lived. The letters of 1 and 2 Peter were written in that historical setting as a call to holiness under suffering.
John expounds holiness as something we both have already - given to us by God - and yet something we also have to work towards. Holiness refers to the character of a parent handed down to adopted children and also to the “Old Covenant “ with its detailed laws which set apart God’s people from those who were not his followers.
An emphasis on speaking the Word of God to ourselves, from scripture, is shown as the basis of what we post-moderns call “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy” - changing our actions by changing our thinking/attitudes.
Ps Sue Irwin continues in our series "I Gave My Life Away and now I..." with with the next part called "Proclaim Freedom" in the 4pm and 6pm service.
HE IS RISEN - Matt Madigan talks on Easter Sunday or also known as "Resurrection Sunday" and how he beats Death by sacrificing himself on the cross for our sins
Seven key features of human existence are freedom, beauty, truth, power, justice, love and spirituality. We all desperately want these things but we never seem to get them right. That is the plight of human nature and all seven were at the core of what happened at the cross. The ultimate victory, signalling the end of a war which had raged since Eden’s loss, was won right there at the cross.
Pastor Sue focuses our thoughts particularly on power - exemplified in Jesus’ appearance before Pilate - a political and religious power confrontation. She encourages us to connect the cross with Pentecost, confirming our vocation, calling and identity, and becoming bringers of love, beauty, power etc into this present darkness.
Using stories from his own experience, and a solid exegesis of the Bible passage, Matt applies Jesus’ parable of “The Workers in the Vineyard” to God’s call on our lives to care for the poor, the weak, the sick, the elderly, the helpless, those with disabilities, the marginalised.
The last will be first and the first will be last as God uses disproportionate grace to bless people. Matt assures us that we are also called to live a life of disproportionate grace and generous justice. This is the only way to bring God’s “shalom” to a broken, dark and needy world.
Our Grainery Core Values include "Love Extravagantly". Pastor Paul unpacks the meaning of Christian "love" as distinct from the world's idea of love - being lust or infatuation or an emotion which comes and goes.
He explains that the deeper we know and experience God's pure love for us, the more we will have our love tanks filled so that we can become channels of God's pure love to this lost and broken world.
The story in Galatians 2 of Peter and Barnabas being lovingly confronted by Paul the Apostle forms the background to this message. Navigating a way through conflict is an inevitable part of the Christian life.
Unhelpful responses are chronicled by Ryan - things such as the silent treatment, denying, complaining, walking away. Are you a peace faker, a peace taker or a peace maker?
Ryan shows how we can experience the grace of God in a whole new way, helping us to love extravagantly even in conflict situations, and balancing grace and truth
There is a simple, but not simplistic, model of discipleship in scripture. You become like the people you spend time with. By modelling. By osmosis. Time with God and time with strong Christians will transform us, build us up, disciple us.
Theo explains Jesus’ invitation to us to have a relationship with him, just as he had an intimate relationship with his Father, only doing what he saw the Father doing. We disciple people towards Jesus. We disciple people after they come to know Jesus.
We welcome all. We help them to grow. As a church we provide good role models. We provide a framework, for growth. We invest in the few got the sake of the many.
Find a person of peace and disciple them - this is Theo’s word of encouragement to us.
In this special Grainery Young Adults event. Matt Stackhouse and Dr Rod Thompson speak on God, Humanity and Identity at The Grainery Church in Mayfield West, NSW.
“Building the Kingdom of God: within, among, beyond”. This is the Grainery church mission statement and today Sue outlines the “within”. The presence of God within us, by his Spirit, can change the atmosphere of a room when we walk into that room.
That presence will bring righteousness, joy, peace and power - as long as the “master” that you are seeking and serving is God himself, not your own needs.
Matthew 6 contains the “Lord’s Prayer “. Our church vision and mission statements come from that prayer. What would planet earth look like if it, and we, became like heaven, if God’s will was done here, in people, and in creation?
Pastor Sue’s message to us is this: God wants only good for his world and he desires that we experience his goodness and become like him in his goodness, creativity, love and kingship.
There is a call of God on your life - you are here for a purpose. Age. Appearance. Education. Wealth. Whoever we are, whatever we have, God has a vision for our lives.
Firstly, God wants to restore to us a sense of wonder. Cynicism is running wild in our society and even in parts of the western church. We need to feel the wonder of God’s person and his unifying love for us.
Secondly, God is restoring to us a sense of compassion - going with others to where they are weak and vulnerable, lonely and broken. We need to sit in the dust and the dirt of life with people and just be their comfort.
These are the themes that Pastor Sue unravels, encouraging us to get rid of “religion” and to embrace a personal relationship with Jesus that attracts people to the life of Christ within us and leads to us dying to our old self.
Sue breathes grace into life for those who are willing to follow Jesus and die to self.
Bringing things into the light by confessing hidden wrongdoing can help to clear our conscience and draw us towards thriving within. But, confessing our fears and failures, sins and shortcomings, is not often easy. Teaching from Psalm 32, Matt delivers three points for us to consider...
Firstly, what it means to cover over your sin by not telling, and the withering, drying effects of that coverup
Secondly, what it means for God to cover our sin with forgiveness, when we come clean and confess to him
Thirdly, the beautiful results of making a regular habit of confessing to God and even occasionally confessing our faults to other Christians - especially to those we may have wronged. Confession may be messy and needs to be done with wisdom in order not to cause trouble.
Nature. It can be a place of silence to hear God better and a place which inspires awe and creativity. Jesus chose natural places to teach and preach over and above man made settings.
Nature is a reminder of God’s care seen in its utility and beauty. Jesus often preached using parables of nature to explain spiritual realities. Nature exemplifies God’s love of community? Have you heard of “the hidden life of trees”? John explains how they are an example of the Eden like community which is God’s desire for mankind.
In this beautiful and unique message, we learn the spirituality of Gods presence in his creation, facilitating our growth into channels of living water to the communities around us.
Matt gives eight reasons or benefits or outcomes for entering into times of silence and solitude:
Pastor Paul outlines the differences between mindfulness, Buddhist style meditation and meditation on the Bible - God’s word.
As well as studying and reading God’s word in attempt to form a correct exegesis, he explains a more devotional approach to engaging with the Bible which opens the way for God to speak a living word into our lives.
Finally he recommends some phone aps which can help those who find the discipline of engaging with God’s word difficult.
Humans are wired to reach out to the transcendent dimension- usually by prayer. Christians are encouraged to pray about everything and to pray at all times. Prayer begins with rejoicing and thanksgiving - both are transformative to our inner life. There is special power in gathering together to worship as a live church, with Jesus’ presence right in our midst.
Jesus’ presence brings a stillness which allows God to speak his will to us and brings us to live in his love. Sue makes three important points about God and people in the context of our rejoicing in him and being still before him - he will never leave us or forsake us, he will cause all things to work together for his purpose and our benefit, and thirdly that he is for us, not against us.
Prayer is so much more than crying out to God in times of crisis. Learn about powerful “crafted prayer” in this seminal, visionary message.
To start of the year on a good note. Let us reflect and meditate and hear what God wants us to strive for in 2021
You can watch the video version here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJTt9K4_OlU&t=106s&ab_channel=TheGraineryChurch
Ps Sue speaks for the final time in 2020 on what do you see when looking back on this year. Was it a good year or a bad year for you?.
We never expected 2020 to be the year it was. Even before reaching 2020, people and businesses had a 2020 vision for the next decade which changed very quickly.
Naomi Fraser talks for the final sermon in our final topic for 2020 "God With Us" on the topic of unity within us and how we all need to be united under God.
Matt unpacks this psalm as words of lament, a cry from an anguished heart, an un-sanitised account of emotional pain.
This is not a pain associated with guilt and shame due to our own sin and failings. It is rather a spiritual dryness for which we can see no reason -“Why so downcast o my soul?”
Applying this to a “spiritual triage” of our lives, we are brought to a realisation that life can be tough and we don’t have a “sure fire to do list” which is guaranteed to snap us out of our desperate state. Neglecting our physical needs for sleep, exercise etc can add to our downcast position.
But all is not helpless. Matt suggests several things we can do to help us to climb out of disillusionment and into God’s plan for us, and several inner stories to avoid if we want to hold a realistic view of life.
Beginning with a beautiful poetic metaphor about a mother’s heart for her disabled baby, Sue talks about the frustrations and losses of our lives.
They are an indication of the cry of our soul for something better - for salvation. God sent Jesus to earth to be Immanuel - meaning “God with us”.
We can experience God personally - as a loving father who is provider and protector, saviour and sacrifice.
This is the cry of our souls to know God, who frees us from condemnation. Sue shares the good news of “God with us” and all that is brought by experiencing him.
Matt Madigan continues on the topic of God With Us.
Was recorded during the PM service on 6th December 2020
Why is the human heart so inclined to the supernatural? Astrology, magic, telepathy etc are popular elements of western culture.
Asher explains the human need for connection with the transcendent dimension in terms of humans being created by God, for relationship with him, and with the opportunity to actually, through a relationship with Jesus, be filled with the breath of God - his Holy Spirit. This will renew your character and bring your life into alignment with God’s will for your life.
Ps Sue Irwin continues the topic of "God with Us" talking about "The Incarnation" where it was not the beginning but what was the beginning was the Word. She goes through these bible passages throughout her sermon:
John 1:1-3, John 1:14, Mark 10:45, Philippians 2:6-8, Isaiah 9:6, Deuteronomy 29:29, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 2:17 & Hebrews 12:1-2
This podcast was recorded on 30th November 2020
Josh Irwin kicks off the Advent season with "God With Us" and the look at the incarnation of God and what the purpose of what God's plan was.
Podcast recorded on 30th November 2020
There have been famous "meal" moments through history but the most historic moment that feature a meal is the Last Supper where Jesus is with his disciples before he died on the cross.
He talks about the Passover using bible verses: Mark 14:12-26, Exodus 12:25-27, Matthew 26:26-28 and how symbolic the meal is as Jesus' final meal.
Podcast was recorded on 22nd November 2020.
Ps Paul West talks on the topic hospitality and how it differs in different cultures from when he lived in the UK to today.
Podcast recorded on 15th November 2020
Guest speaker Asher Morrison talks about the spirituality of mental health followed by being interviewed by Theo Rule.
Speaker Matthew Stackhouse talking on the subject of Life as a Disciple during Life of a Disciple: GYA Teaching Event on 14th November 2020
Conversation between Ps Ryan Zweygartt and Dan Wilk during Life of a Disciple: GYA Teaching Event on 14th November 2020
The Old and New Testaments contain many teachings about caring in practical ways for the poor, people in need, the marginalised, travellers and refugees, the hurting and the lost.
It has been posited that approximately 690 million people in the world live in chronic hunger, and this number is growing rapidly during Covid. At the same time, one third of the world’s food is wasted. The Grainery Church, along with most churches and denominations around the world are working to redress these situations.
Matt steers us towards loving Jesus by acts of giving to the most needy in this world where our global connections render everyone our “neighbour “.
Don’t miss the powerful testimony from Sam Paul Pilli regarding the impact of Covid in his home nation of India.
In many ways our world has become more fractured and polarised than ever before. Problems seem to be more and more complex.
Matt applies the story of the “Good Samaritan’ from Luke 10 as a very simple but powerful and effective solution to the issues we face in our fallen world and in our own fractured lives.
Matt goes deeply into the historical context of this story in which a marginalised member of society becomes the hero.
He is a hero because he shows love and provides hospitality to someone in real need. Not just by smiling and thinking kindly about the world in general, but by actually reaching out in a practical way to your actual neighbours.
Will you make a plan to love your actual neighbours?
That is your challenge this week.
Pastor Paul explains how our spiritual worship to God includes the offering of our whole being to him, and allowing him to change us into his image.
This message is about the connection of our whole being with the living God, and the victory that is available to every Christian so that they can live "life in all its fullness".
Scepticism is rife in the Western world. Even for Christians there can be theological, philosophical and emotional pushback against the idea of a spiritual realm filled with forces of both good and evil. In this realm beyond the physical, natural world, is a supernatural, transcendent realm. According to the Bible this realm is active and intertwined with the material world. It is marked by many things including prophetic activity, dreams and visions, miracles and radically changed lives.
Matt opens our eyes to discern between the forces of this spiritual dimension, between its holy manifestations and its satanic identities. We are encouraged to move in the Spirit of light, bringing truth and freedom into lives and communities dominated by darkness and wickedness. If you are interested in “breaking through in an opposite spirit” you will have your eyes opened by this outstanding exposition of spiritual warfare.
What kind of dad did you have? What kind are you? Performance based? Passive/absent? Punitive/abusive? Permissive? These are negative stereotypes but the Bible describes a positive model of fatherhood with God as the model father.
The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is a parable in which the father exhibits grace, love, forgiveness and acceptance, and Roger focuses us on the character of this exemplary father. Yet parenting can also be painful and grievous, complicated and difficult, but Roger encourages us to be patient and prayerful, waiting for God to comfort and bring resolution to the heart-breaking open ends in our life. No matter what your experience of fathers and/or fatherhood have been,
Roger”s message will move you and inspire you around the topic of Godly fatherhood.
Ephesians 6:10-17
Pastor Sue begins by outlining who Christians are fighting against - the father of lies, whereas Jesus is truth.
Then she makes 3 points.... 1. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit and it is truth. It dispels fear, anxiety and doubt if we intentionally fight Satan’s lies by trusting God’s truth in his Word, the Bible. 2. It is alive. It is full of living words which are active in conveying Gods voice to us and Sue helps us to practice listening to God through meditating on Psalm 8. 3. The Bible is powerful. As we declare it in praise and worship, spiritual power is released. Jesus quoted the Word of God correctly when, in his desert sojourn, he was faced with the enemy who twisted and mis-applied Gods Word.
So take it, read it, live in victory by it, let God speak to you by it, release God’s power through it.
There is a cosmic battle happening between good and evil. Will you rise up to become a person of power in this battle? There is a devil. Evil exists. Each of us does bad things.
As Sue describes these two kingdoms it is obvious which choice we need to make in order to take our stand in “Team God”!
So rise up, people of God, and let’s see the enemy stopped in his tracks as Jesus has already won the battle. In his name and in the fullness of the Holy Spirit ...... WE CAN.
Temptation has three sources - the world, the flesh and the devil. Jesus faced all of these but remained pure and perfect.
We need to “diagnose “ the source of our struggles so that we can pray appropriately. John is a brilliant commutator and an outstanding teacher of scripture. In this message he clearly exegetes this passage of scripture, helping us to understand and overcome temptation, coming through trials, tests and temptations stronger and more mature in our faith than ever.
The devil offered Jesus things which were not his to offer, counterfeits or shortcuts. John examines how Jesus responded to this during his temptation in the wilderness. He shows how memorising and rightly applying the Word of God can help us to defeat temptation and evil - a key element in our spiritual warfare.
Adoration- tick. Confession - tick. Thanksgiving - tick. But what about asking God for things? Is it kosher? Is it less important than other forms of prayer? Does it mean we are weak and unable to look after ourselves if we ask God for lots of things?
Remember who you are talking to, says Matt. He is a God who involves himself in our humanity by self revelation and intimacy. He is a father who loves us to ask him, indeed who asks us to ask him, as we need him desperately, just as little children need their parents. Asking is the pinnacle of humility.
In order to see God’s kingdom come in our lives and across the world, we need God’s resources- we need to ask him from our own lack to resource us from his riches. Persistence is a virtue according to Luke 18:1-8.
Matt builds a biblical case for justice focussed prayers as well as asking for our daily needs.
When was the worst year ever? Maybe for you personally it has been this year? Thanksgiving is a powerful “weapon” to help you to not just survive in hard times, but to thrive in hard times. “Give thanks in ALL circumstances” is a New Testament theme and Josh applies this theme to the practicalities of our everyday lives. There are sometimes bruising circumstances in our lives, which we did not deserve or ask for.
Will you, along with biblical characters like Paul and Silas, and along with saints through the ages, offer praise and thanksgiving to the sovereign Lord? Josh spells out for us the change that being obedient in this can radically change our lives - both inwardly and outwardly, drawing us closer in our relationship with God.
Asher is a clinical psychologist, specialising in child and adolescent psychology.
Asher is well placed to discuss our human failings as well as the things which make people thrive. He unpacks unforgiveness as a toxic human trait, and forgiveness as an incredibly freeing characteristic.
With typical humour and deep biblical insight. Asher delivers a powerful invitation to “dance” with Jesus in the dance of forgiveness.
Don’t miss this life changing message
Repentance talks about a change of heart, a change of direction, a change of thinking. For Christians, this begins with leaving our self dependence behind and allowing God to be in charge of our lives.
Using examples like the story of Les Miserables, Matt illustrates and illuminates the idea of repentance, showing that the wage earned by our sinfulness is death, whereas confession and repentance lead to life in all its fullness.
Our relationships with God and others come alive, but our need for ongoing repentance is a key to activating this.
Matt issues us a challenge. Are you a “sinner”? Do you need to change direction in life?
From the story of King David’s incredible prayer at the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, Theo encourages us to adore God in our prayers. He draws out the power in beginning our talks with God in adoration, producing effective ministry, wholehearted purity and worshipful unity.
God desires an intimate relationship with us which will result in a delighted bursting forth of our enjoyment of his love for us - in adoration towards him.
Matt and Ryan continue their discussion on sin, looking at how we find it difficult to accept grace, through two analogies for sin.
We are in a “Kairos” moment as a nation. A God chosen, God infused period of time in which he is calling to us. His desire is to release revival and reformation.
In the context of the cultural injustices of our own times, our own history, our own attitudes and values, Vicki calls us to repentance and the cause of Christ. She urges to take the lead as the people of God and pray repentance and healing as a divine strategy for reconciliation.
Beyond this Vicki urges us to speak prophetically with the narrative of heaven - love, unity, salvation. Only God has the answer- let’s own this opportunity to bring the Kingdom of God and it’s unforced rhythms of grace into this Great Southland of the Holy Spirit!
Droughts, Bushfires, Covid. Unemployment and financial stress! What more could go wrong?
We Australians are being shaken out of our comfort zones, and having to face a natural world and a social world which are, at times, hostile environments in which we struggle to flourish. Paul outlines the development of the concept and practice of “blessing” in the Bible.
He shows how the benevolence and favour of a loving and gracious God are the only unchanging things which are able to empower our prospering even in difficult times, and encourages us to speak God’s blessings over our own spheres of influence.
Due to copyright reasons. We are not allowed to include The Blessing Australia song but if you want to watch the video, here is the link for it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOt7baaVSbE
Matt and Ryan discuss the hidden effects of sin on our wellbeing, the joy of repentance and coming to God, and our intense need for God’s grace.
In order to understand prayer, we must understand our identity. Made in the image of God, we walked away from Him - and yet, in Jesus, He seeks to restore us to the dignity He first gave us as His. Sue talks about our identity in God and how, by praying, we nourish His spirit within us, allowing Him to change us.
Walk with our narrators on a purposeful yet leisurely walk through The Lord’s Prayer. You will be invited to stop. Reflect. Pray. Apply the teaching to your own life.
This begins the third Grainery Challenge for this year- a challenge to rise up in prayer and together shape the future.
In John Chapter 6 Jesus proclaims that he is the “Bread of Life”. This sets the context for his teaching on what the church calls Holy Communion, or, The Eucharist. Matt explains how this, in the early years of the church, was misunderstood and sometimes deliberately mis-interpreted in the wider context of persecution by the Roman Empire. The Kingdom of God is made up of those who bow their knees to a heavenly King not an earthly ruler. Yielding to God as your King, following Jesus, knowing and loving him, involves laying down kingship of our own lives and putting allegiance to God’s kingdom above earthly allegiances.
Whatever you are feeling or facing in these days of isolation and distancing, Matt’s message will encourage you to put knowing and following Jesus as first priority.
What can you not do without? Corona Virus season has taught us a few things about that. It has, in particular, taught us the value of relationships, of connection, of community. Loneliness is a widespread and destructive experience. Yet there is a deeper relationship that all humans desire. A relationship with God. Jesus said he is the “Bread of Life” and the “Living Water”. We all need food and water but there is a spiritual food and water, which Jesus said would never leave us dissatisfied. Using stories from the New Testament book of John, Asher reveals how a relationship with Jesus completely satisfies our destiny, the purpose our life, the one thing we simply cannot live life in all its fullness without.
Your identity has internal and external aspects which sometimes are at war with each other. A story in John chapter eight speaks of a woman who had been caught in adultery and was brought to Jesus. Springboarding from this story to our life situations, Sue explores the roles of accusers, victims and advocates in our life. She concludes that since we are all often the guilty person, we need to be honest internally and externally. No religious act. No pretending to be who we are not.
Rather, when we fully find the free gift of our identity in Jesus’ love, advocacy and forgiveness for us, in God the Father’s consequent judgement of us as righteous in Christ, and in the Holy Spirit’s presence in us, we have a brand new identity!
How can we talk about joy in such a troubled time for the whole world? John looks at the book of Philippians and the story of Paul the Apostle, to show us how to experience joy in difficult circumstances. Five secrets to joy are revealed....
Rejoicing is found in the Lord - only knowing Jesus and his love for us can bring lasting, overflowing joy
Rejoice - it’s a command- an imperative which takes effort and discipline as well as being a work or fruit of the Holy Spirit in us
Joy is possible without good circumstances. Outward events can bring happiness but joy in the Lord is inward - it endures despite life’s circumstances.
Being “other focussed” can bring great joy. Being overly self focussed is often a source of great anxiety
Be an active part of a community involved in kingdom work.
Ryan and Matt talk about three ways you can lead yourself well in your journey with God.
What gives you satisfaction? Can you distinguish between the satisfaction that fades and leads to the cycle of addiction, and the eternal satisfaction that knowing Jesus brings?
Life in all its fullness - what does it depend on? Naomi debunks some myths that many of us believe, thinking they will lead us to perfection, satisfaction, fullness. Wealth, perfectionism, appearance management will not lead us to a closer walk with Jesus. Rather, Naomi points us to humble acceptance of our sinfulness, giving up the throne of our life to Jesus and then living in close union with him.
The biblical story of the “rich young ruler” informs this message, pointing us to align our thoughts and lives with Jesus’ thoughts and life, and Naomi gives practical guidance in how to do this.
Have you ever pioneered something? It usually requires that we dig deeper to find new resources both within and without. This is true also of our spiritual life. Right now we are pioneering new ways of being church and doing the Christian life, so Matt expands on how we can dig deeper...
Ryan and Matt look at the importance of knowing ourselves, how we can do that, and why that’s become more important during lockdown.
In a relaxed, conversational style Sue and Graeme share stories of their own mothers. The lessons that they learned and the power of Godly motherhood are recounted in a way which inspires us to see the best qualities of mothers coming from the very character and heart of God.
He is protective like a mother hen over her chicks. He declares his blessings over us and empowers us to do the same over our children. He satisfies our deepest longing and imparts joy, just like a mother’s importation to her children.
Graeme encourages us to pray “A+” prayers over our children. Sue encourages us to bless our parents.
The Bible contains many examples of people who waited many years, before God led them to their life-defining moments. Joseph. Moses. Jesus. From John 11:1-7. The story of Jesus raising Lazarus, Ryan leads us to wonder why Jesus waited two whole days before going to help Lazarus. People who God loves get sick and experience pain - guaranteed! However God uses these trying experiences for his glory. Why doesn’t God show up sometimes right when we need him? Ryan identities a lens of trusting that God is good, and that he is doing something good even in the waiting and the pain, because he loves us.
The average person is not able to control the big things that are happening in this Covid threatened world. But we can partner with God, growing closer to Jesus in the process, to bring good out of bad, in our own sphere of influence. Josh unpacks these processes, how to truly know Christ, become like him, go beyond what we thought possible with our lives and follow the examples of Biblical and real life giants of our faith. In this we will set an example for others to follow as we grow in intimate followship with Jesus.
At least once each year the Grainery focuses on our missions and justice calling. Clare reminds us that God’s blessings are like a sumptuous meal which we share together at a beautifully set table. Jesus taught a link between God’s blessings at his table, with his desire for justice for all people in all nations. In God’s kingdom the communion table exemplifies this truth as it is a table where rich and poor, slave and free, strong and weak can sit and participate equally together. This fellowship overturns the world’s values by a subversive, grace based hospitality.
Clare encourages us to overturn injustice with an indiscriminate fellowship of kindness and hospitable sharing of resources, especially towards the impoverished and marginalised.
Beginning with the story of the life of Elijah, particularly God’s meeting with him as a still small voice and progressing through stories where God speaks in fire and thunder, Theo challenges us to consider how God speaks to us. Stories of radical conversions and of humble Godly men in history, provide a framework for us considering what a life which honours God might look like.
At the deepest level of your life, what do you want? Sue suggests that below our ambitions, goals, and desires lies something more profound. Paul the Apostle says “I want to know Christ...”. There is a longing in the human heart to know God personally. This is to truly “know”. The deepest knowledge is relational prior to being experiential. Out of knowing Jesus in our innermost place of intimacy comes the fullness of joy, but also an experience of suffering which is very freeing, which overcomes self-blame and cynicism. Do you believe that God wants to give the very best of life to you? Sue explains how suffering is a part of the path to healthy wanting, true knowing, and joyful living.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul the Apostle speaks of resurrection and being “saved”. Human beings need “saving” or “rescuing”. We yearn for fulfillment and “good” life but know that we fall far short of what it takes to make these things a reality. Sue explains how Jesus is the answer. Only he can bring heaven to earth right now, and his death and resurrection are the keys to this process. Victory over sin and death is at the core of our rescue by God. Sue encourages us to embrace a whole new world-view and a new, rescued way of living. We do this by dying to our old self and letting God freely make us into a new person, a resurrected person l, who thinks, speaks and lives differently. Let’s learn to be resurrection people, playing our own specific part in fulfilling God’s plan to bring heaven to earth.
Matt Darvas, CEO of Micah Australia comes with a message which challenges our hearts and minds to consider where we place our faith and trust and hope. Matt asks us to come on a journey through His story, in history, and join it with your story, even if life is difficult, as in this current, challenging season of Corona Virus infection.
Are you an optimist or a realist/pessimist? Both can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the amount of trust in God displayed. The final instalment in the story of Joseph confirms that God can bring incredible good out what is essentially bad. But this is maximised for us if we trust Him. We need to be honest about the pain of difficult circumstances and grieve in the pain in our life, but also to keep up our hope in God, trusting Him and praising Him as an act of obedience. As children of God we have His favour, so trust begins in his adoption of us. Our trust is a response to His love and fatherhood. What might it look like for you to become like a child before God? Ryan challenges us with that question and encourages us to press into this even in the loud fearful shouting of a world in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We come to the end of the story of Joseph. In these chapters, the story of Jacob’s messy family concludes with the deaths of Jacob and his favorite son, Joseph. These two chapters touch on death and grieving, on appropriate lamenting - topics not often preached in churches. With powerful referencing of stories related to COVID-19, Tim explains the importance of owning grief. Grounding our emotions in owning the reality of loss and grief is the only way to healthy living. Joseph’s lament over the loss of his father and the support of all of the leaders of Egypt in his grief provide lessons for us. The old world that was so comfortable for most Australians is lost. This powerful message will bring forth tears but will lead us to hope in our God, who knows what it is to grieve and to hold to principles for living that acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our lives, the God who does the impossible.
In this final message following the story of Joseph, Sue gives account of what transformed Joseph from a young, insensitive young adult to a man of mature faith and compassionate demeanour. Sorrow, struggle, difficult times, can harden our hearts, resulting in an inward looking selfishness, or send us running towards the love of God resulting in love for others. Sue outlines how love for hurting people can be best expressed and can help you to outwork your purpose in the world. Becoming like Jesus, we are blessed to be a blessing! In the midst of your own troubles you can actually minister to others and Sue explains the mechanisms that can bring this to pass.
Preaching through Genesis 44, Matt tackles the topic of offence. In the context of the developing story of Joseph and his family, Matt shares some of his own struggles with offences. The actions of Joseph in this chapter in setting a trap for his brothers are the outworking of offence. The word offence comes from the Hebrew word for “trap”. This trap has Joseph’s desired result - his brothers are repentant. The tearing of their clothes reflects a tearing of their hearts. What have you been offended by? Are you an advisor or an adversary? Are you trapped in adversarial thinking or freed to be an advisor - a person of influence in all of the spheres of influence in your life?
TBN. "How to Explain What You Do, When You're A Pastor" Youtube, 13th Nov 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6TGxKvSqH8
How did Joseph go from “the pit” to being governor over a nation? When you are in a bad situation and can’t get out, you are in a “pit”. The key to a successful life after the pit Is in your heart response. Do you allow yourself to become mean and bitter, or do you find the grace and trust in God sufficient to push through the pain, push into God and to allow the Holy Spirit to send people around you who will bring His peace and comfort? The power to bless others will be the result of this journey out of the pit when you come out with grace and peace.
Drought. Bushfires. Flood. Coronavirus. Personal crises in marriage or in finance or health or mental well-being. The Bible understands crisis and God empathizes with us in our struggles. The story of Joseph exemplifies the Bible’s potential to comfort and guide us in our own challenges. Using Joseph’s story, Theo explains what a crisis is and why it happens. Fatalism and karma are not realistic explanations. Cynicism and humanism are not ultimately to be our response as Christians.
Crisis can help us to take a long hard look at ourselves and our own mortality, realizing that God is sovereign and in control. Looking carefully at the widely divergent responses of Jacob and his sons to the crisis, Theo shows how God can grow our character through crisis situations - as Joseph exemplifies.
This message begins with an exploration of the inner world of Joseph who seems to have developed a heightened emotional intelligence and an ability to not only dream prophetic dreams but to interpret them as well.
In refining Joseph’s character in prison, God was using bad things and bringing good out of them. The result is that Joseph, filled with equanimity, becomes second in command in the world’s most powerful nation. The lesson for us - firstly faith in God. Secondly, an understanding of God who doesn’t go from A to B in a straight line so life’s twists and turns are not detours but a part of God’s ultimate plan. Thirdly the promise to Abraham, that he would be a blessing to all nations, is also being fulfilled through the church. Positive developments in politics, law, and science are three prime examples of the Christian faith’s contribution to the development of a prosperous modern world. As a part of the Church, we are all contributing to something of cosmic significance.
WARNING: This message contains challenges that could change your heart and your life!!!
For the next eight weeks, the Grainery preaching series will be drawn from the story of Joseph in the Old Testament book of Genesis chapters 37-50. Sue launches this series with a focus on the messy family of origin that Joseph was born into, and the unjust and broken nature of the world of his time as well as the world of our time. It is, however a message of hope as we realize that in the midst of all these difficulties, God was in control, had a good plan, and outworked that plan through unusual means - dreams and visions. Sue unpacks the role of dreams and visions in our life, and the role they can play in transforming a nation, as we serve joyfully and faithfully where we are planted.
In February 1997 the Grainery Church was born. It was the product of a vision God had planted in the hearts of a small group of Christians, mainly Novocastrians. Speaking from Genesis 12:2-3 and the story of Abraham’s faith, Sue outlines some of the history and foundational principles of the Grainery church which have brought blessings to so many. and explains how our destiny is in building God’s church together. Small groups. An inter generational family atmosphere. Team work. Mission focus. Relying on the Holy Spirit and prayer. Bringing heaven to earth is our vision. Our mission is to build the kingdom of God within, among and beyond ourselves. Plans to grow the church further and reach our region for the kingdom of God are unveiled in this seminal message.
Freedom is a big deal to God - see Ephesians 5:1.
Alex explains three different types of freedom found in the Bible and outlines freedom as described by Jesus - it’s about switching your yeast and to understand more you will need to listen to Alex as he describes the difference between these.
God has tied our fruitfulness to his glory and tied his glory to our ruling and reigning in life. Preach. Heal. Set people free. Exercise the authority and ability God has given you to make disciples. These are the key themes of this encouraging message in which Alex shows how we can bear this good fruit. It is in a deep relationship with Jesus - especially as we allow him to “prune” our lives, helping us to die to ourself. Character flaws, wrong priorities, wrong thinking etc can be brought to light and pruned if only we choose to surrender to him and allow his creative word to remain in us.
Most popular and successful stories in literature and film share a number of common elements. We may call this the “heroes’ journey “. The Biblical narrative of God’s relationship with man and mankind’s journey towards salvation and transformation in Jesus is at the centre of Sue’s message - and explains the popular attraction of the heroes’ journey. Sue encourages us to be bold and faith-filled in stepping out on the spiritual journey towards powerful ministry in people’s lives. She encourages us to examine the state of our soul and consequently go on the journey of transformation from the inside out. This journey of transformation involves awakening. purgation, illumination and union. Stories of the transformational power of prayer, our confession and God’s word in this message help to build our faith.
The story of the transfiguration of Christ is at the heart of this message, with a focus on personal and corporate spiritual awakening. The disciples awoke on the mountain to an experience of the glorified Christ. Like wise God desires individuals and even nations to experience a spiritual revival or great awakening which will bring the kingdom of God unto the human kingdoms and bring heaven to earth. Paul speaks prophetically of the beginnings of revival in the Grainery Church, the Hunter Region and the nation of Australia.
The word “Christian” is only used three times in the New Testament. It was first used to describe the followers of the way of Jesus living in Antioch. The uneducated disciples of Jesus, once they were filled by the Holy Spirit, shocked the religious establishment by their boldness and faith, not by their beliefs. Sue explains how discipleship is not essentially about a set of beliefs, nor a set of rules to be followed. Disciples of Christ are those whose life direction has radically changed as they are now on a journey towards knowing Jesus and becoming like him. This is the path to an abundant and eternal life, and, illustrating this truth with real-life anecdotes, Sue encourages us to become fully dedicated apprentices to Jesus.
Eternal life = kingdom of God = being saved. These things are here and now - in this world. We are bringing heaven to earth whenever we do Gods will here on earth. John runs through biblical word studies on “salvation”, “kingdom” “eternal life“, linking these great realities with the story of the rich young ruler. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is more than just about eternal life when we die. John shows how a rich life of obedience, a re-alignment of our lives, flowing from a repentant heart and a deep, intimate relationship with God, is what God being enthroned as king of our lives is all about. Salvation is a journey. A process. It is the start of a journey not an end in itself.
Once saved always saved? Is it possible to get a “ticket to heaven”, where salvation is a kind of completed transaction which can be maintained by even a minimum ongoing lifestyle commitment? Matt poses questions and tells anecdotes which help to transition our thinking from “how much can I get away with and still have eternal life?” to “how can I be a totally committed and freely available disciple of Jesus, living fully for him here on earth?” Jesus wants to be king in our lives and Lord over every part of our being, taking “self” off the throne in our lives. Matt presents salvation as an ongoing work of transformation in our hearts, making us a totally new person.
Once a person gets a “free ticket” into heaven, what next? Jesus came not just to give out free tickets to heaven, but to bring heaven to earth. Human beings are easy to pull apart but way more difficult to put back together. As well as saving us from the deadly consequences of our sin, God wants to put individuals and our world back into the shape it was originally meant to be in. Using a beach shade tent and a story about the last day of primary school with characteristic humor to illustrate his point, Asher unpacks teaching about the Kingdom of God and the implications of this Kingdom for individuals and planet earth. Life matters because the Kingdom of Heaven comes through us and our words and deeds.
Is Religion just about earning a ticket to heaven? Wrong question when it comes to Christianity. Jesus announced that the Kingdom of Heaven was now coming to earth. Knowing him personally is to know the new reality- the good news of forgiveness, healing, deliverance, meaning and purpose - life in all its fullness - here on earth. Sue asks us to consider what this good news of God’s new kingdom means to us. Knowing and surrendering to Jesus is the key to experiencing the kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Is Jesus your King? Sue explains how the benefits and blessings that are a part of the kingdom of God are only available to his followers. This is so much more than just a ticket to heaven sometime in the future.
Looking at your year how would you sum it up? What shouts loudest to you from 2019? God looks at this year and asks of you “who did you become?”
Using the Biblical example of Paul the Apostle, Sue explains how God's purpose is to transform you into the person you were always meant to be.
Humans yearn to be fully known, loved, valued, heard and understood. Only knowing God personally and intimately can provide these things for you.
The path to this involves forgetting our own achievements and the pride of our own life and acknowledging our hurts, unforgiveness, pride - our human weakness.
This is the starting point for experiencing the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. In the path of knowing him, we become who we are meant to be.
The Christmas story draws people. Using moving real-life stories Sue illustrates the divine rescue plan put into effect at the coming of Jesus as the God-man. God is with us, for us and not against us, advocating for us and present within us when we become disciples of Jesus. The gift of life in Jesus needs to meet a response in us. We can ignore it, decline it , accept it but never use it. or receive it gladly, gratefully and wholeheartedly. Which will it be for you this Christmas?
What is the likelihood that the Christmas story is true? Moving stars? Virgin birth? Angels? Isn’t the story of Santa Claus just as likely? What would a detailed historical and philosophical inquiry reveal? Matt discusses the evidence for dates relating to Jesus’ birth, and explores philosophical thought about miracles surrounding that event. The conclusion? The Christmas story when believed can make you deeply mystical, happily material, fiercely relational and free to be emotional. The highly personal nature of the incarnation, of God becoming human, sets our prayer aside from being a repetitive religious ritual and establishes a way for us to know him personally by faith with implications for our emotional well-being.
Many people played a significant role in the birth of Jesus. Simeon. The Wise Men. Angels. Shepherds. Prophets. Anna the prophetess. They were willing. They were obedient and faith-filled. Each one played a significant but personalized part. Like them, Sue asserts, we can play a part in bringing God’s kingdom here on earth. What is your part? Pastor Sue carefully examines the roles of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. With humor, Sue encourages us to humbly but confidently train ourselves up in God’s word, identity and use our spiritual gifts,
Philippians 2:5-8 is often called the “kenosis” or”emptying “ of Jesus. He emptied himself of much power when he took on human form as a baby. He displayed great humility- using power only for the good of others. Using examples from his experience as a dad, Matt talks about holding our power, and about God’s response to our sin - holding his power but unleashing his grace and mercy in the incarnation of Jesus. Matt encourages us to “have the same mindset as Christ” by being gentle and humble in all of our interpersonal relationships. He finishes with the question “what’s it like to be in a church with you?”
If you want God to do a miracle, put yourself in a place where you need a miracle. John humbly tells the story of his life. Childhood tragedy, teenage rebellion, criminality and jail, marriage and divorce. From the pit of despair John was rescued by his conversion to Christ after he experienced the tenacious love of a Christian who reached out to him. He tells the story of the beginnings of Christians Against Poverty in the midst of his own poverty. This ministry now reaches thousands of people around the world every year. John has been recognised in the Queen’s Honours by the awarding of a CBE given by Prince Charles personally.
In this first message of the advent six week challenge, Sue looks at the coming of Jesus from the perspectives of different Biblical characters and then asks us to examine our own perspective. What do we see when we look at the coming of Jesus? Herod saw a threat to his power. The “Wise Men” saw one who’s coming had cosmic origins and consequences, one who was to be worshipped. Do you see your sin paid for, the legal charges against you cancelled and yourself now made Holy and blameless? If you make the choice to align yourself with Jesus it will lead you to a place where you actually stop being a judge of other people and become their advocate, looking for the gold in people and overlooking the dirt in people. Sue shows us the secret of how we can do this.
Colossians 1:16-17 speaks of a system of governance in the unseen spiritual world. That world is as close as the human heart. The kingdoms of darkness and light exist in that world and in the physical world. Pastor Sue unpacks the idea that humans were created to rule and to reign in the physical world by the creation mandate, but in Christ, we also have rulership in the heavenly realm. We are taught to pray “your kingdom come” and called to usher in his kingdom by doing the will of God. Learn how to do this in your own specific way as you live out God's reign in your own specific areas of responsibility. Like Zacchaeus, we need to serve a new master - the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can know a lot about Jesus and his death on the cross for us and yet not be born again, internally renewed or in a personal relationship with him. We don’t earn this by toil or hard work, but we hear his voice and respond. Ryan describes the rise of smart phones and their influence on young people, especially their distracting influence. Quote: “the greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism, but distraction “. Netflix. YouTube. Social media. A million Aps and internal distractions can steal our time with God, prevent us from actually hearing his voice and responding. Using the story of Elijah and the flight from Jezebel, Ryan encourages us to experience renewal, learn to hear the whisper of the Lord, and make room for stillness and silence in our lives.
Asher Morrison - How Fear Gets in the Way of God - 10th November 2019 by The Grainery Church
Are you a slave or a son? Kanye West says he is no longer a slave but a son of the living God!! Knowing and walking in the sonship of God as an intimate Father is central to our Christian faith. From Romans 8:14-17 Josh speaks powerfully into the cultural and historical background of Roman culture around the process of adoption. Freely chosen and permanently a part of the family and an heir of the father’s estate. Adoption is an instant work but also a process and Josh shares the workings of this in our daily life.
The story of Joseph found in the book of Genesis is very detailed and contains much of relevance to us. In the story Joseph has two cloaks taken from him, signaling two life-defining moments. Both of these moments could be seen as negative and soul-destroying, but God was working out his own plan through these incidents. Who we determine what we say and do - in both easy times and difficult times.
Kieran encourages us to let God take total control in our lives. Putting our hands up and surrendering to God frees us from anxiety and frees us to become who we were meant to be.
This podcast will encourage you to do just that.
Your ambitions to serve God must be supported by your character. Joe uses the themes of contemporary films to exemplify the complexity of following Christ humbly but bravely. Filled up but not puffed up. Humility, Joe suggests, is the difference between truly and courageously serving Christ, and performing good deeds relying on ourself. What is essential is not judging ourselves by the opinions of others or by our own assessment of our performance, but believing that God has made us righteous by his prior love for us.
We need God.
As our Heavenly Father.....
He cares about our physical and material situation. No detail of our lives is too small for his attention and love.
He cares about our emotions. Are you lonely? Feeling down? Our Father cares.
He is tender and compassionate. God has maternal as well as paternal traits. He cares for us as a mother cares for the child in her womb.
Naomi describes how we can approach this perfect Father with confidence rather than with shame and guilt. This access produces a strong identity, a peace which overcomes anxiety and a trust in a Father God who wants to do miracles in our life. This message will help you call God by the most intimate of his names - Abba (Father).
In the Sermon on the Mount prayer is presented in the context of relationship. Themes of trust, God’s goodness and love for us, intimacy and persistence are explored in explaining what prayer is. Asking, seeking and knocking - they can be nullified by fear and pride, but can be activated by leaning into our relationship with our loving Heavenly Father. Bethany describes road blocks to prayer as well as attitudes and values which can enhance our prayer relationship with God in this powerful message.
Dan Patterson - If God Is So Good, Why Is The Church So Bad - 13th October 2019 by The Grainery Church
Copyright of Here I Bow is owned by Bethel Music from their 2017 album "After All These Years Instrumental"
Foundations. Where are the foundations of your character? If they are in your relationship with the Holy God, the building of your life will be firm. If your foundations are in your own abilities and strengths your life will be built on things which will shift and change and sometimes will be overwhelmed by your own brokenness or by the vicissitudes of life. A dynamic life will be lived collectively with Jesus as your Lord and the church as our spiritual family. The key to this solid, dynamic life is knowing Jesus personally and well. Pastor Sue asks us if we know Jesus, if we put his Word into practice, and if we live lives marked by forgiveness and love, flowing from God’s presence, through us, to others. Don’t allow blockages to stop you from this flow.
Professor John Attia - The Problem of Suffering - 29th August 2019 by The Grainery Church
Peter speaks of his own life story - one of the harshness of life growing up as an indigenous man in a remote community afflicted with poverty. In the midst of this, Peter’s grandfather was a leader, his grandmother a strong Christian who cared for her family and led them to Christ. She gave Peter a vision for being a leader for his people. Losing his mum at an early age, being mistreated by his dad, and being sent away to boarding school, Peter felt an intense loneliness and brokenness. This is a story of pain, of loss, of overcoming great adversity. Of sinking to the depths of alcoholic self- medication, and finally of finding the saving love of Jesus Christ. This is one of the most moving and powerful testimonies you will ever hear.
In 2016 God will Kay and her husband John to northern Nigeria to join John's parents in mission there. After outlining the physical and social geography of this violent pat of Nigeria, Kay shares how the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram created chaos all around their region and how people in their Bible College ministry had died at the hands of these Muslim fundamentalists.
God has shown the local Christians how to bring peace, how to love and cooperate with their Muslim neighbours, and how to plant churches in this volatile society. Don't build taller walls but build longer tables
Do you have need of a miracle? When God does a miracle it is for our benefit and for his glory. Brian brilliantly expounds the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. When we get to the end of our extremities God can do a miracle. Those who had experienced being fed had first made themselves totally available to Jesus by following him right around the Sea of Galilee. The disciples obeyed Jesus in finding the food and then distributing the food - being radically obedient to him. These two groups, by doing that, put themselves in the place where they could experience a miracle. In sharing his own testimony, Brian explains his radical life change from a budget centered banker to a person living by faith on the road less traveled. He calls for us to live a life totally available and radically obedient.
The “founder” of the church is Jesus according to Hebrews 12:2. Ever since the fall the human “spirit” has been dead and dominated by the human body and soul. Jesus came to reverse this order, giving our revived spirit dominance in our lives. A growing church needs people who are Spirit led and spirit led in order to set and achieve faith steps to reaching the goal of a growing, thriving church. Graeme discusses how an insurgent mission, a front-line obsession and an owner’s mindset are critical to achieving this big goal. He expounds Philippians 2, explaining how Christ is our model in humbling our selves and obediently serving God in life, from a strong spirit which is connected to God.
Cultural shifts. Post-Modernism. Post-Christian world-views. The marginalisation of the church. Church scandals. Spiritual opposition. Personal opposition. Social rejection. Evangelism shame. Church forms which are stuck in the past culturally. Theological opposition- people who claim to represent Christ but don’t hold to the historical creeds.
How on earth can we successfully share our faith in this day and age?
We need a theology, a model and a practice which will produce fruit in this hostile environment. Ger outlines how we can be an empowered people who reach our culture with the love of God, message of the gospel and person of Jesus. Acts 16 provides the material for Ger’s outline of being:
Led by the Holy Spirit - by responding to his nudges Burdened by the Holy Spirit - for the needs of others to experience the gospel Empowered by the Holy Spirit - through words, wonders and works to reach others
In this introduction to the fourth “challenge “ of the year, Pastor Sue talks to us about discipleship- passing on a mature faith to others - especially to the next generation. Beginning with who Jesus is and a personal relationship with him, Sue expounds the centrality of forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven. The “Kingdom of Fair” is contrasted with the “Kingdom of Grace”. One is a place of torment, the other a place of peace within ourselves and with others as we live both receiving and giving the gift of forgiveness. This requires laying down our life which brings endless blessings.
Why do we sometimes stop the flow of the Holy Spirit? Firstly why do we over complicate our relationship with God? Many Christians hear lots of sermons and Bible-based podcasts, but don’t let these things transform their lives. Often this is because our Christianity has become a habit, legalistic, based on a feeling that we need to know a lot but not to grow a lot! The Pharisees of Jesus had a masters degree in this form of “religion”, but where was love? For God and for “neighbour”. Secondly, why are we so often tempted away from the fountain of life? Jesus himself was tempted - this is not a sin. Temptation targets some basic hungers and desires that all humans share. Jesus is able to demolish the power of temptation in us and Matt explains how. Following God is more like a dance based on faithfulness to God and selflessness to others, than preparation for an exam. This is Matt’s conclusion for us.
When you pass away will it take some time before you know it? Will your identity and nature be so connected with God and filled with him and his love and joy and peace that the wall between time and eternity is virtually non-existent at that point? We can draw a fearful identity from our sinful nature or be led by a peaceful identity drawn from the Holy Spirit in us. Pastor Sue leads us to a relationship with God resulting in a transformed nature which overcomes any power of our fallen human nature to turn us into fearful slaves to sin. Quoting such great people as Dallas Willard and Abraham Lincoln, Sue proclaims the freedom of grace and salvation which makes us new and gives us a fresh start, making us sons and daughters of the living God and breaking the slavery mentality. God can be your eternal Father and your identity can be that of a son, not a slave. Listen to this message and find out how.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 is a well known passage about spiritual gifts. From its historical context of Paul’s church planting in gentile cities, Al paints a picture of a Corinth which was a multicultural, socially and spiritually diverse city with a thriving church. Paul wrote to this church to address some beliefs and practices regarding spiritual gifts. He stressed that all gifts are valuable for building up the local body of Christ - the local church.
Al applies this teaching to our context by stressing how much we need each other and how much each person in a church needs to find their area of gifting and service then get to it. Church is not a spectator sport.
Acts 1:6-8 is a seminal passage about the Spirit of God. Sue leads us through the implications of these verses for our transformation and for our engagement with the world. She explains how the Spirit leads us if we keep our hearts soft towards Him. Grumbling, complaining and fear can harden our hearts and Sue uses Old Testament stories of the Exodus to exemplify this. Alternatively a heart of worship can soften our hearts as many of the Psalms show (See Psalm 95). The gods of success, romance, finance or anything else will control us if we let them but the Spirit of God will lead rather than control us, and transform rather than destroy us. So let us worship!
There are different types of obedience. One is obedience to the law - enforced by the police. The second is obedience to God’s revelations, which can help you to sail through life and flourish- from the inside out! Obedience to the Holy Spirit is definitely the latter of these, helping us to succeed in this world. Pastor Sue applies this idea to the concepts of identity, purpose and God’s power, so that we can be healthy people in a healthy church which brings the love of God to this world. She encourages us to be passionate people rather than jellyfish!!!
What does revival mean to you? Renewal? Reform? Fire? A return to something powerful. Josh describes two Old Testament transformational moves of God - one through form and one through fire. He applies this to the “Prozac generation “ and the need for a spiritual revival in Australia. Creating a godly lineage who are strong in faith, filled with Gods word and ready to impact the world is a key element in this revival. Josh is the only person in the GRAINERY’s history to use a dirty nappy as a parable of our own sinfulness before God! He encourages us to be honest before God about our sin and thus put ourselves in pole position for revival.
Historically preaching and beliefs about the Holy Spirit and about spiritual gifts has tended to divide Christians. We all have different past experiences of the Holy Spirit but in fact the Spirit wants to bring unity amongst Christians rather than division. Matt explains how the Upper Room coming of the Spirit, described in Acts Chapter 2, was after ten days in which 120 of Jesus’ followers were “in one accord”. Do you recognise that you desperately need more of the Holy Spirit in your life? This message will encourage you to eagerly desire the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, and spiritual fruit in the context of love.
The thing that delights the Holy Spirit the most, is introducing people to Jesus. The Holy Spirit can and does speak to the hearts of men, not just for our own benefit, but also so we can bless others. When you start to talk about the Holy Spirit he shows up - and begins to show off!!! That is, he begins to touch lives. Our task is to understand who the Spirit is and what he does, and to listen to him then obey. Vicki gives dome insights into how to do those things. She gives encouragement to follow the Spirit into salvation, into spiritual growth and into giving and receiving spiritual gifts, especially prophetic ministry, in an atmosphere of love.
How do snorkeling and an indigenous “welcome to country” relate to the story of Jesus and Nicodemus? What does it mean to be born of water and the Spirit? Should we just give up on praying for salvation for someone and/or sharing the gospel with them if they are just not responding? What is the gospel anyway? Paul applies the first three chapters of the book of John to understanding Gods heart for lost people. He encourages the congregation to pray for salvation for those around us and not to give up.
In 1 Peter 4:7-9 the service of others by using our spiritual gifts is described. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to Christians to work through us in fitting the calling he has for us. Lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament come from the one God for the common good. Gifts call out of us things we could never do in our own strength. Kieran encourages us to access and use our spiritual gifts, eagerly desiring the higher gifts.
For this new six week challenge we begin with John chapter four and the story of “the Samaritan woman at the well”. Jesus promises this woman something incredible - an unending spring of water (being the Holy Spirit) which waters all those around us with God’s grace and peace and joy. Exploring what it means to be baptised in, or filled with the Holy Spirit, Sue focuses on the transforming and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit for witness to others and for blessing others. Learn about your new identity, your new boldness, confidence and victory, a new invasion of the earth by heaven - by His Spirit through you!
The whole of John chapter 9 recounts the story of Jesus healing a man born blind. What is your response to this miracle? Pastor Sue explores the responses of the religious people, the disciples, the spectators, and the healed man’s parents. She asks whether there is a little part of each of these people in us. Sue points out that sickness and spiritual blindness and human brokenness can be healed and restored no matter what their cause. God can use us to carry out that task, not by our own wisdom or abilities but by the Holy Spirit working through us by God’s grace.
Most people are not prepared for death. It has been a taboo conversation topic - even in the Christian church. In this poignant message John explores the idea of grieving with hope, presenting seven reasons why believers can grieve our losses but with a great hope for our own healing from existential distress and for a new life in eternity. He outlines the Biblical view that death is an enemy, which has been defeated in the resurrection. Eternal perspectives, community, the fatherhood of God, the humiliation of losing our independence, the crucifixion and God’s purpose for us. All of these issues are addressed in this thoroughly ground breaking, powerful message.
Why is belief important? Because it gives us purpose. We need to live our life journey with purpose to give us direction and growth – or have no purpose at all. If we ignore God we invite chaos into our lives. We need rules to play the game – rules from the person who invented the game. We can be caught in a storm and Jesus comes to us – do we invite him into the boat to calm the storm and restore order? His presence transforms our fear. Jesus said don’t be afraid I am with you. Bring Jesus into everything – he transforms your fear.
Where do you stand as far as miracles are concerned? Is it the view that only Jesus could do it – they are part of history or Jesus has called us to do things that are impossible. As Christians we face a conflict – belief or unbelief. Am I in or not really sold on the idea of miracles? The writer of John wants us to know that Jesus is the real deal. Where does human effort become divine effort. Do we rush off in our own strength then find ourselves in a situation that only Jesus can fix? The disciples were rowing the boat thinking that they should have waited for Jesus. Jesus comes to them and says do not be afraid – I am here. In a split second of belief Peter steps out of the boat. Life can be a series of miraculous events where God steps into our circumstances and does the impossible.
Each person has a story about having a mother or being a mother. Vicki shares the experience of her own growing up and how some bad choices led to drugs, outlaw motorbike gangs and being a poor mother.
However, this all changed when she met her Saviour. Our failures don’t define us and the changes in Vicki’s life and in the life of her kids were both positive and radical. Success and failure - we are encouraged to lay all of this at the feet of God who creates our life narrative from the depth of our relationship with Him.
Learn about the difference between instructing and parenting, and become a river of blessings as you listen to this inspiring Mother’s Day message.
An intriguing title. A passage that begins with a miracle of multiplying bread ends with a crowd who want to force Jesus to take up the sword and become a Jewish King who will free the Jews from Roman domination. Like this crowd, we Christians at times try to manipulate Jesus to do what we want him to do. We try to get God to conform to our will, rather than being willing to conform to His will. Ryan encourages us to attempt the impossible, presenting our meagre resources to him and seeing our limits as God’s grace in disguise. Only in our weakness and lack are strong in him, a truly countercultural idea in our society. There is peace in surrender to God and Ryan’s entreaty is to move from self trust to trust in God.
Christianity provides a story from which a robust world-view can be developed, answering life’s most basic questions. This story from the New Testament is the only miracle recounted in all four gospels. In its context it is significant in the large meta-narrative of Gods work in the earth. Your life matters to God and Matt draws out the power of God to use us and our insignificant resources to make a difference in the lives of others and to achieve Gods purposes. Not meaning that God’s purpose was that we would know Jesus as a political ruler or cosmic Santa Clause, but rather know Him as “the Bread of Life” who gave his body and blood so that we could know life in all its fullness. Real life is in the mystery of feasting on the Son of God.
Sometimes we can miss the point. We can live our lives waiting for ‘luck’ and not be looking for Jesus
God pursues us – He makes all the moves towards us because of His grace
His grace is unsolicited and underserved
Grace brings into being that which is not and then it is!
Just as in the account of creation in Genesis God called into being that which was not these are the acts of His grace
Today He continues to pursue us as He has all through history and waits for us to respond to His acts of grace.
Jesus is aware of the state of the world – its darkness and broken hearts. Jesus through his grace has called into being hope, love, freedom, and faith.
He will rule forever.
Some people are fixated on their problems and believe that they or their situation will never change Is it the circumstances of their lives or is it how they think? Is it a victim mentality?
Theo shares four signs that you may be in a difficult place or indicators of victim mentality.
Is the problem within us? We all have a choice – how will we be on the inside despite what is happening on the outside? Is it always other people or circumstances that cause our problems. Jesus said to the man – Stand up! Pick up your mat and Walk Be thankful – focus on God’s love for you – it changes your heart. Discover that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
It was the first Easter Sunday. The followers of Jesus were grieving. The women who discovered the empty tomb were marveling. Jesus began appearing. The disciples began believing. Good news. The best news. Ointment for our hearts. Bringing peace and joy. Transformation for individuals and for societies was dawning. Josh explains the love of God for us, even in our hard to love, unlovable state. This love is “heart balm”. Our Identity as a person who is loved so much by a loving Heavenly Father is “good news” and is the motivation for us going to change the world by sharing this “good news”. We begin with sharing who God is - a good God who wants to bless us. Merciful, tender and compassionate. We focus on the Identity, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. A really powerful message which will make you laugh lots, but also motivate you to share the truly good news about the God who loves and motivate you to love those who God created.
It is too easy to compare ourselves with other Christians and then to feel inadequate or feel at the bottom of an imaginary Christian hierarchy. This message challenges that view and frees us to have a personal internal revelation of who Jesus is and who we are. From two stories in John Chapter 4, Matt encourages us to believe and trust God even if he is not showing you signs and miracles. This runs counter-culturally in our society where science teaches us to believe only what can be observed, tested and repeated. There is no formula for a faith based life.
What is your core belief about who you are? Deep down, what is your sense of identity? What does it mean to be created in the image of God or to reign over the earth and reign in life as believers? From John Chapter 4 Sue discusses these issues through the miracle or sign of Jesus healing the sick son of a royal official. Jesus berated the official for demanding signs and wonders without being willing to truly believe - pledging loyalty to Jesus as the Son of God. However, the official took Jesus at his word - he truly put his belief in Jesus and his son was healed. Sue encourages us to remember who we truly are in our own right (nothing!), and who we are in Jesus (everything!).
The life that God wants for us is eternal, morally light-filled, it is truth and brings freedom from spiritual slavery. Through belief in Jesus, John’s gospel promises that we can have this life, and it will have credence, develop confidence in our faith and bring continuance of transformation within us. Theo outlines from the water into wine story how, when we come to the end of our own resources, we are drawn to cry out to God. Then Jesus shows himself to be God, by performing a “sign” but without the host and guests knowing who did this. Mary, his mother, knew Jesus’ true identity and went to him confidently on this basis. This message will encourage you to believe that God is good and wants only good for your life.
The book of John is full of signs which point to who Jesus is and what his plan for humanity is. Paul points us to the new covenant which Jesus embodies - a covenant of abundant grace and love which changes us from the inside out, freeing believers from sin and guilt. The symbolism of ceremonial water. The Biblical significance of the numbers 6 and 7. Unlimited grace and favour poured out on an unnamed couple in an insignificant little town. All elements of a message which draws us toward the conclusion that God is extravagant in his love for us.
Humans not only think and process information, but they also dream and solve problems. Human consciousness is amazing and yet we can’t even work out how to stop paper getting caught in a photocopier!! Our problem is not the limitation of our intellect, but our lack of belief in, and relationship with, Jesus the Saviour, the Light of the World.
Outlining six stages in growing as a Christian, Sue focuses on three levels of human belief: public, private and core. What do you believe in the depth of your being where your core beliefs exist - that God loves you fully and that out of this love, you yourself can live a life of love - the goal of Stage 6?
Belief. Love. Joy. Perennial positive themes of scripture and Sue’s preaching.
This podcast was recorded at an event Matt Stackhouse spoke at in North America as an alternative due to his original podcast at The Grainery Church was corrupted during recording in January 2019.
A kiss is powerful. It is risky. It is usually an outward expression of an inward emotion. But it is also a metaphor of how God relates to us and how we relate to the world. Matt brings an unusual message – kisses found in the Bible and their lesson for us today. Idolatry. Betrayal. Fellowship. Thankfulness. Good and bad can be worked through a kiss. Tying this in with the story of the Good Samaritan, Matt explains how the kiss of heaven on our lives changes us from the inside out and leads us to love other human beings – the good and the bad, the lovely and the unlovely.
We all want to be a hero - and in the story of the Good Samaritan we identify with the hero. But what does it really mean to love your neighbor? Pastor Sue explains that Christianity is not behaviour management. It is being love. It is a walk with Gods Spirit. It is about our Identity as a whole new you who is Jesus to the world - bringing light love and hope. Sue explains how we are very often the robber in the parable of the Good Samaritan - only when we’ve been rescued by grace can we become the hero of the story - the Good Samaritan himself - in a real and helpful way.
As a foundational member of the Grainery Church, an ex-policeman and as a secondary school teacher, Pat speaks out of his wide experiences of what it means to love others as you love yourself. Having lost his first wife to cancer, Pat shares many very personal stories and anecdotes of both trial and triumph as he furthers the theme of the image of God embedded in each person. Pat teaches from the creation story and the immeasurable value of individuals shown in the death of Jesus for the sins of each individual.
Do you love yourself? Is that all about “self affirmation “? How do we love ourselves in the right way so that we don’t have some ugly narcissistic tendency? Is it all about “self esteem “? Am I fantastic just the way I am? Josh tackles these questions head on and comes to a conclusion- and it is summed up in 1 Corinthians 13 - the great “love chapter” and 1 John 4 in the New Testament. The “true you” might not be worthy of the love of God and of others , but God loves you fully anyway. Find out why as Josh unpacks what the implications of God’s love and kindness are for us, and helps us to shed our shame.
Before listening to this podcast it would be helpful if you go onto Youtube and watch the short "Bible Project" clip about the "Shema" or "Strength".
Examining Jesus' teaching on the "greatest commandment", Theo focuses specifically on the meaning of strength.
If you want to know why we should love God with our "all", what it means to do this, and how to do it, this message will bring revelation. This is all set within the context of "covenants" between God and man. Jesus, bringing a "new commandment", as always, overturns conventional human wisdom and brings a new way of thinking to an age-old topic - loving God and loving people extravagantly
This message explores theory and practice in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic language and culture to encourage zeal in our relationship with God. Deep biblical exegesis and contemporary cultural understandings come together as Dr Attia explains what it means to love God with all of our strength: our body, money and possessions, and with our totality or "muchness". (You need to listen to this message if you want to understand "muchness"). This message will help you to be knowledgeable, practical and passionate in your love for God.
The idea of living God with all that we are was not new when Jesus taught that this was the greatest commandment. He was restating Deuteronomy 6:4 which was a well-known passage to his hearers. Immediately though, they would have noticed that Jesus added the specific concept of loving God with all of our minds. In Greek culture, this would have meant thinking philosophically. To the Jewish hearers of Jesus it meant something completely different.
Matt examines the structure of our brains in this message and applies it to the Biblical understanding of loving God with all of our minds
Small decisions or small thoughts can have massive impacts on our lives. Asher illustrates this in his iconic, humorous style using an illustration involving Henny Penny and the 2018 Rugby League Grand Final!!!
There are many practical ways that we can use our focus, knowledge, remembrance and fascination to love God with our mind.
Asher explains how these four things can show our love for God and build our relationship with Jesus
Ps Sue Irwin - Loving God with all our Soul - 24th February 2019 by The Grainery Church
In Mark 12:29-31 Jesus outlined the two greatest commandments - love God and love others. Loving God with all of our hearts involves our most fundamental faith commitment from the center of our consciousness. An international decision to love God must come from our innermost being. The heart of each person is set on something eg. self, money, success or Jesus. When the heart is set on Jesus a person will obey his commands with a childlike trust.
In this introductory message to the "Love" series, Pastor Sue encourages us to not just hold an academic relationship with God, but to nurture a deep, heart-based love which brings with repentance
The story of Jesus feeding 5000 people, from John chapter 6, is the basis for this message. The focus is on equipping. Jesus equipped Philip, a follower of Jesus, and the other disciples, not by giving them a formula for a miracle, but by encouraging them to connect to Father God personally, then simply doing whatever God tells them to do.
The rest of the chapter builds on this teaching of knowing God intimately, who he is, and what his will is.
Pastor Sue encourages us to be, as the disciples were, confident in knowing Jesus personally so we can be equipped to build God’s kingdom by loving and serving others.
From The introductions in Paul’s letters in the New Testament, John Mark focuses our attention on the words “grace” and “peace”.
Grace - the free spontaneous, unmerited favour of God? Yes. But..... used over 100 times in Paul’s writing, primarily not meaning “unmerited favour”! Biblically it has a range of meanings around “the empowering presence of God in a believer”.
Peace - in spite of our circumstances rather than because of our circumstances, this “peace” is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament idea of “shalom”. It is the way our life was meant to be before the fall.
These things come to us from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They are a blessing. They carry weight.
Do we speak words of blessing?
Find out how in this powerful message about the power of our tongue.
As the CEO of “Christians Against Poverty”, Rosie’s testimony is that God is “on the move”. In this message she talks about CAPs vision to release the church to minister to the poor. Using stories of some of CAPs 3000 successful interventions in the lives of people in need, Rosie outlines how Jesus’ mission statement in Luke 4 provides guidance for the church. Our task is to carry on the ministry of Jesus - building Gods kingdom with and among the poor and needy. Rosie presents us with two challenges involving repentance and love.
Theo outlines the background of Paul the Apostle so that we can understand Matthew 23 - the woes of the Pharisees. Jesus was clear in his teachings - the “yeast” of the Pharisees and Sadducees will separate a believer from God. Hypocrisy was at the core of this yeast. Pretending to be something or someone that we’re not. Wearing a mask. Theo calls on us to reflect on our own beliefs and practices to see if we lack authenticity anywhere, rather pointing others towards God’s goodness not our own., embracing life’s challenges and sufferings and abounding in God’s merciful grace.
We all need to see the world and the Word clearly – as God sees them. Pastor Paul unlocks ideas about how God sees the church. Based on the confession of Peter that Jesus is the “Messiah, the Son of the Living God, Paul shows the importance of the church as the bringers of light into a dark world. Jesus chose to reveal that the church would break down even the gates of Hell, in a very significant place - Caesarea Philippi. It was a place of perversion and injustice, and hence also a place of occult presence and practices. Find out how this place was the perfect spot for Jesus to announce the power and authority of who he was and who the church would become.
We belong to Him - Psalm 100:3. We matter, we have value becasue we are created and redeemed only by God, and knowing this deep down brings an invaluavle sense of identity and belonging.
Things which divide Christians are insignificant in the light of the unifying strength of this identity and belonging. Pastor Sue shows how believers in Christ, who understand that they belong to God, can find an unshakeable hope which helps them step towards God in life's ups and downs. Without this, life's difficult circumstances are mostly likely to drive you away from God.
Joy, Thankfulness, Gratitude. The New Testament teaches the living out of these character traits in every circumstance of life. Pastor Sue looks at the story of Job, who faced hugly painful life circumstances and yet was able to humbly recognise God's goodness in his life.
From the New Testament we are encouraged to reflect on the stories Lazarus and of The Feeding of the Five Thousand.
Jesus gives thanks and a miracle of provision and a miracle of healing happen. Move away from unbelief and into thankful belief and see the difference this change will work in your life.
Pastor Sue uses a story about a styrofoam cup to shed light on 1 John 4:7-8. The gospel of the life changing love of God, shown to us in Jesus, is woven throughout the message. You will be encouraged to give your life to Jesus, ask forgiveness for your wrongs and put your faith in God, become His sons and daughters, and then share His love with others.
Asher brings his typical humour to bear on reflections about the meaning of Christmas. From funny stories about a child’s toy giraffe to the an insightful look at the early start to Christmas forced on us each year by commercialism, Asher brings us to the central meaning of Christmas. The coming of Jesus meant God himself had come to earth in human form. The prophets predicted it. The heavens declared it. Humanity was humbled by it. God with us - a promise, a covenant, a life changing, profound and faithful presence with us and in us.
Many many prophecies in the Old Testament of the Bible refer to the coming of a saviour or a messiah. The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
In particular Jesus’ birth was a spectacular fulfilment of thousands of years of promises and prophecies. It was a turning point in the history of the world as God was faithful in keeping his covenant promises.
Josh explains experiences of God’s faithfulness as God outworking his divine plan and connecting with our personal stories. He personalises God’s faithfulness and shows that even when life’s circumstances are difficult and we struggle with negative feelings, Jesus is still faithful. We need to align ourselves with the truth.
God is full of surprises. As most parents love to surprise their children and god beyond expectations, God is waiting to bless our hearts and go beyond what we expect. Why do we believe one minute and then doubt the next? The answer to this questions reveals the true state of our heart. Jam,es 1:6 speaks about a person who wavers in their faith in God. If we are not expecting God to surprise us in every situation. As we believe more in the love of God, we will be constantly surprised by him and our hearts will become soft
Christmas is about hope. Matthew 12:21 talks about Jesus' name birthing hope among people. The hope of Israel in Jesus' day was for a messiah. Like Israel though, our hope for a saviour can be misguided unless we see clearly who Jesus is.
Caleb shows how hope is important, when set on Jesus the saviour, activated by faith and expressed in love. It can free us from condemnation, save us from defeat and giving up in the race of life, or even take away despair and depression.
What are the statistical chances that Jesus was truly the expected Messiah of Israel, the Son of God?
In answering this, Pastor Sue takes us through some of the people God invited, during the first advent, to join in his story in history. She explains how this impacts our story, as God also invites us to join in his story.
The advent stories of the shepherds, the angelic appearances, the annunciation to Mary, the visit of the Magi and the wickedness of King Herod are explained. Pastor Sue shows us how these stories reveal our value in God's eyes, what we have to leave behind in order to join his story and what and how we can contribute to his story if we earnestly seek to follow God's will. The result - fullness of joy
God's plan for the world. Firstly "gospel". Social gospel? Faith gospel? Liberation gospel? Full gospel? Should the gospel be divisive? Good news - the Gospel of the Kingdom is integrative not divisive! The story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus garment is an example of this gospel of the Kingdom - a gospel which makes us sons and daughters of the living God, bringing healing and transformation.
We become the ambassadors of this gospel kingdom - representing one nation to another nation. A home nation sends s to the host nation. Resources come for us from our home nation (God's Kingdom) and help is then given to the host nation (the world in which we live). If the gospel has changed you, then be the gospel to the least, the last and the lost.
Many world changing things were born on the day the Christian Church was born. Humility, generosity, equality, rights of women and children.
In Matthew 6:1 Jesus called on his followers to be habitual and humble examiners of their motives in doing these good things. Using this Bible verse as a launching pad for exploring related verses, Sue shows us how, when the church began humbly believing in and following the goodness of God in Jesus, the world was radically changed.
Knowing intimately and believing steadfastly in his goodness and love are key ingredients to make this happen. It's not too late - to receive his love, know him personally and discover your divine destiny.
God's love for each of us is energising, life changing, cleansing and restoring. Where his presence is, there is love.
Kathy shows how even in our fallen, imperfect state, God still loves every human being. Starting with God's provision for his chosen people for the forgiveness of their sin, she leads us to the ultimate act of God's love for us - when he gave his own Son to pay the penalty for our sin. That is true love and was followed up by God in the gift of his Holy Spirit and the establishment of his church.
In this "big picture" message, Kathy reminds us of who God is and of God's big plan for the world as a whole and for us as individuals
Ps Will Dumas, Aunty Donna Meehan & Jonathan Harris - 28th October 2018 by The Grainery Church
What makes the Christian church difference from an atheist gathering or a social justice group or even a gym or a club?
It's the kingdom. Our focus is the coming of the Kingdom of God to the world. Jesus taught us to pray "thy kingdom come...". This is a subversive prayer in every way. All of our activities towards this goal work towards the restoration of the world - not its evacuation!
A new humanity, bringing justice, mercy, care and true love is core to achieving this. Only Jesus can do this in humans - making us new and bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth in us and through us. Josh unpacks the ideas from the Lords Prayer, the Beatitudes and the Book of Revelation.
Activism and social work exist outside the Christian world-view. So what makes Christian mission in our community and in the wider world so distinctive? It is no surprise that Matt builds an inextricable and clear link between advocacy and justice on one hand, and prayer, fasting and sharing the gospel on the other. From Isaiah 58, Matt outlines how spiritual power from prayer and fasting go hand in hand with outreach and community care.
Lessons from history - Wesley and the Moravians, and the American Great Awakening, illustrate how God can unleash revival and mission on this planet in response to prayer and fasting.
Matt teaches on prayer and fasting as foundational change agents for a world so badly in need of a new spiritual awakening
A charity chairman, a brilliant businesswoman turned activist and two mission minded young women tell the stories of their call to use their passion, profession, resources and skills in serving God by caring for a lost and broken world. This includes supporting overseas missions by fundraising, buying or helping to sell imported goods, or by going on short term overseas missions. It includes becoming involved in volunteering to help local food distribution programs or teaching musical instruments to refugees. It includes advocacy for the rights of the marginalised like women trafficked into slavery, running fundraising events to raise money for the work of the International Justice Mission.
They share practical ways that everyone can find their holy discontent and then get involved in making the world a safer, more just place
A compassionate craftswoman, a public minded prosthetist and a brilliant businesswoman turned activist tell the stories of their call to use their passion, profession resources and skills in serving God by caring for a lost and broken world. This includes by ethical consumerism - purchasing fair trade goods or eating well or using renewable clean energy sources. It includes supporting overseas missions by fundraising, selling home made goods, or by going on short term overseas missions. It includes advocacy for the rights of the marginalised like women trafficked into slavery, running fundraising events to raise money for the work of the International Justice Mission.
They share practical ways that everyone can find their holy discontent and then get involved in making the world a safer, more just place
Matt has spent the last ten years as an international aid and development worker. He begins this message by sharing some seminal experiences which shaped his passion for world mission, international development and an end to injustice and poverty.
Matt outlines his experiences of poverty around the world and how an experience in which he came to a living relationship with Jesus opened his eyes to see that God has a plan to save people from physical and emotional distress as well as saving them from sin.
However, there is no "silver bullet" proffered which will solve the world's problems, but rather you are encouraged here to develop a thoroughly Christian world-view and a personal commitment to make a difference in your world. Matt finishes wit ha strong Biblical rationale for all of these things.
How does the Christian live a life that is daily surrendered to God?
2 Corinthians 4 addresses this. Life can be stormy and is definitely not easy and choosing to live a life dependent on God can actually make things even harder.
Kieran shows us how, when we listen to and follow God's promptings, we activate Gods power and grace to work in us and in our circumstances, bringing a positive outcome by God's standards.
A practical outline of simple but powerful ways of doing this is presented by Kieran.
The greatest healer, teacher and practitioner of prayer that ever lived gave his followers a model of prayer. It is more than just an individualistic guide for personal prayer, it is intensely communal.
Pastor Paul looks at the Lord's prayer line by line and word by word. He encourages us to not only use it as persona guide to prayer, but also as a blueprint for the culture of the kingdom of God in the earth.
The Parable of the Sower - Matthew 13
Does this parable teach that we all have a 75% chance of not having a Christian faith? Many people have a fear of making a wrong choice so they avoid making choices. Fear of commitment is increasingly prevalent as people opt to "keep their options open". Are you tired of sowing seed or fearful of failure or embarrassment?
Ryan addresses these issues as he speaks into the lives of young adults.
Be transformed in your thinking - by the Word of God. Don't be fooled into believing the fake truths that our society tells us.
John tackles three emotive and controversial issues. Abortion, Gender Identity, Euthanasia.
Does a woman have a moral right to terminate their pregnancy or is life sacred and to be preserved? Does a person have moral authority to end their own life or does only God have that authority? Are we generically male or female or are there a plethora of other options?
Take a trip through the philosophy of Plato, Descartes and Emanuel Kant and their consequences and the Bible and its implications in this significant message.
Great footy players and other great sportsmen and women, great politicians, great philanthropists. What makes us as Christians strive for greatness and what defines greatness? Jesus defined greatness. He told stories of caring for little children, of serving others, especially the poor and needy. and taught about having the heart of a servant and humbly washed the dirty feet of his disciples. Main point? God wants us to be great, by HIS definition of greatness built on humility and a culture of servant-hood.
A great church will be a church of great servants and will be known for this in the wider community
The happiest people belong to God's Kingdom. Entry to this real and eternal Kingdom is free and every human heart craves for this Kingdom. People who live in this Kingdom are defined by who they are and not by what they do. The Beatitudes in Matt 5:3-12 tell us something about these happy enriched people, and these people are to be congratulated. These people see themselves as spiritually poor, they wait upon the Lord, gentleness live in them, they claim nothing as theirs, they crave for righteousness and demonstrate tender mercy, they have a pure heart, make peace and bear the wounds of persecution.
Preaching from Romans 8:14-16, Matt speaks about the experience of being children of God. Led by the Spirit of God, we have become family, adopted as his own children. God's Spirit bears witness to this reality in our own spirits. Matt illustrates this teaching of Paul with the concept of an organisational charts, which enables people to know where they stand in an organisation.
Many children group up in a place of privilege, not understanding that our freedoms, values and prosperity have only come into our culture through Jesus and through his followers over many generations.
The cultural transformation of our Western society has come firstly through the Holy Spirit transformation of individual hearts then minds. Too good to be true? Every area of our society can trace the positive influence of Christian people in its history.
From Jesus' own mother, Mary to the latest convert to Christianity, a relationship with Jesus has meant a person being transformed and sent to be a culture-changer by faith. Pastor Sue shows how faith can transform fearful people into fearless people, and thus to impact the culture around them.
Craig recounts testimonies of healing which point to something greater - the reality of the power of Jesus. Healed knees. Pain reduction in a back. A powerfully restored hamstring. Fibromyalgia gone. The name of Jesus heals and sets free, just as Jesus healed when he walked this earth - often irrespective of our faith. However, there are times when we need to deal with death or ongoing sickness. Craig explains the process of staying in the game even in the agony of defeat moments in life then prays for and ministers to the sick in the congregation.
God wants to speak life into your life. A culture of prophecy in a church can develop to the point where every person can be comforted, encouraged and strengthened every time the church gathers, both in corporate meetings and community (small group) meetings.
The story of Ezekiel prophesying to the valley of dry bones is explored, along with the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians, to motivate and guide us all into stepping out into a supernatural prophesying which is also intensely natural and practical. Go and get it so that the church can be united and strong.
Humans were created in God's image and as Christians, God is changing us individually and collectively into his likeness. This image includes not only his character, but also a Godly influence over others - in our marriages, our work places, our neighbourhoods. From Galatians 5, Pastor Sue explains that hard work and persistence are key elements in our learning to rule and reign in life, free to bring hope and light and joy wherever we go. She encourages believers to be people of dignity and integrity, outward focused and serving others.
Do you put on a cool persona to get people's attention? The Biblical story of the birthright of Joseph, Esau and Jacob involved trickery or deceit in order to gain positive attention or blessing.
But who we really are comes out as there is less and less of us and more and more of Jesus.
With great humour and insight talks about how to say no to our old life and live the hidden life in Christ
This message begins with one of the most unlikely and amazing testimonies you will hear. From Psalm 23, Margaret explains how God can do for you what He did for her - heal, restore, free you from fear, give you peace, take away your loneliness. This happens as we believe, receive and speak out His Word.
If you are on a journey and you don't know clearly what your destination is, you will probably get lost. Lots of Christians get lost on the journey of faith. Based on 1 Peter 1:8-9, and stories from her own life journey, Ps Sue explains what "the salvation of your souls" means. It is not just the gift of heaven when we die. It is love now, both for God and in practical ways for others, and it is an inexpressible and glorious joy. Ps Sue outlines the various stages of this spiritual journey of life, which is also an intensely natural and practical journey.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a powerful poem about "self" called "Who Am I". We cannot know who we are until we know who God is because we are made in his image. The weight of having to find or create ones own identity without knowledge of God forces us to look inward.
Gender identity debates are a current expression of this search.
Jesus brought a new way to be human - living out the image of God which is in us, by His very presence in us. We are his "Dwelling Place". Matt teases out these ideas in the context of a God who is love.
God IS CALLING The Grainery Church to "Pastor" the 6000,000 people of the Hunter Region. A church of 6,000 people is conceivable. However to provide care and discipleship to so many will require great pastoral care and outstanding leadership. From the story of Moses and Jethro in the wilderness of Sinai and the New Testament teaching of the priesthood of all believers, Pastor Paul shows how this might be achieved
God has made you complex and unique - not just physically. But in our eternal soul. Each one of us has a particular destiny which only we can fulfil. What will you choose? Put God first and thus breathe life and freedom into our own soul, or put self and the world first and so lose our own soul?
Dare to dream big. Dare to be creative. Dare to use your unique gifts to bring heaven to earth. Dare to reject a lift of religion and rules and dare to embrace a life of deep freedom in relationship with God with others.
Pastor Sue shows us how a deep relationship with God, springing from God's rich grace, can enrich and free our souls.
From the Bible passages Genesis 11 and Acts 2, Tim talks about the power of common language and of clear communication, leading to technological progress. This has lead to much of mankind not having to struggle just to feed themselves and their families, but being able to research, to build, to diversify.
The great pitfall of this progress can be an arrogant affirmation of mankind's self sufficiency and a reliance on self.
However mankind still seeks for meaning and purpose beyond the physical, in the realm of the transcendent.
Pentecost trumps Babel, igniting a new fire amongst humans, the fire of the Holy Spirit in salvation and a new experience of God's destiny for us.
God's intention for his church is to be an international body of born again people. Locally it is the 'ecclesia" or local gathering of these people. In the Pastoral Epistles, Paul the Apostle talked about the church as God's household. God's household is characterised by real, intimate and kind relationships, by transparency when we do wrong and forgiveness, by inclusivity.
Kieran explores Gods heart for this family - the church
From an overview of the book of Revelation, Dr Attia draws out its major themes. The power of the crucifixion, the place of God's community, the church, the presence of God bringing worship in heaven and on earth, the people of God in a constant spiritual battle and the preparation of the church of Jesus Christ to reign and rule on a renewed earth and in a renewed heaven. Find out how you can be in two places at one time in this message calling us to contribute to the work of the kingdom of God in the here and now
The church is a spiritual family. Ephesians 5:31-32 describes the relationship between God and the church in terms of an intimate marriage. To make any difference in the world we the church need to go back - allowing God to heal the broken and wounded parts of our past - so we can move forward. This is a better path than choosing instead to mask the pain of our past using distractions or self medication. There are consequences to these choices which lead to life defining moments - either good or bad. Josh outlines how to let go of the pain of our past, especially letting go of the dysfunction of our family of origin, so that we are free to do life God's way in Jesus' new family
Christine lost both of her parents in the Rwandan genocide where 100 million of her people group were slaughtered. After living in extreme poverty, she was adopted as a Compassion sponsored child. Her life was radically transformed as she came to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. She shares her testimony thanks those who are Compassion sponsors, and calls on the church to help bring people out of poverty and hopelessness into a hope and a God given ministry of leadership in their nations and in the Kingdom of God.
God wants us to see things that we can't naturally see. He can do for us way more than we could see or imagine for ourselves. Sometimes we are in a "valley" and can't see a way out - but God can see it.
From the biblical books of Ephesians and Hebrews Pastor Sue teaches us how to see with God's eyes - a different perspective on life as we look down on earthly life from heavenly places where we are seated with Christ.
God does this so that we can share God's love and light with others
As the last message preached in the old Grianery building, Pastor Sue chooses to encourage us to live thankful lives. She encourages the congregation to be thankful for one another and to look through the eyes of love at even the people we find it most difficult to like
This week we hear testimonies from several wonderful women who have recognised God's extraordinary presence in their lives. They share their struggles and their successes, their fears and their passions, their highs and their lows, their parenting challenges and their parenting failures. Through it all you will be encouraged to trust God to bring you through victorious in every life situation
There are many metaphors we can use to illustrate what it means to live in Christ, or which the Bible uses for that purpose. Asher, in his typically humorous, story-filled way, explains some deep Biblical concepts relating to us living in Christ. Substitution and imputation are confusing theological terms bu the truths that they represent are deep and meaningful. Your brokenness, addictions, pain and shame have already been exchanged, in the cross of Jesus, for His freedom and wholeness. Learn how his authority is ours as we live our lives hidden in him, and this authority we need to live powerful lives in a darkening world.
Matthew 21:1-13 is the story of Jesus doing something radical in response to his core vibes. What are your core values and where do you come come? Are they flexible? Are they easily compromised? Speaking from his own life stories Kieren encourages Christians to spend time with God, value people above progress, live with integrity, and freely love God and demonstrate God's love to others. Valuing forgiveness is the subject of Kieran's most moving story. If we dwell in God we will value these things
Dealing with guilt. A bad conscience. Self condemnation. Finding freedom from shame and guilt. It's a battle we all fight. Does going to church make us feel better or worse? Does the churches teaching on repentance leading to salvation release us from these things, or is the world's way better - forget your mistakes, make your own rules, live for yourself and self-medicate your troubled soul.
Dwelling in Christ is not a one off act but a life of humble reliance on God's grace and mercy, expressed in a personal relationship wth Jesus Christ.
Matt shares his own life's journey in regard to this topic, and how God fully set him free
This story illustrates three main things:
Jesus came to change our perspective on what and who are the centre of the universe.
Jesus came to destroy evil.
Jesus came to reveal the Heavenly Father to us - the one who truly loves us.
Sue explains how we can learn to lie on our backs and float in the sea of God's love for us. Learning to trust God means learning to get rid of mistrust and to get ride of our self-centredness, embracing instead a life in the light of God's truth and love.
A powerfully prophetic message on the healing and miracle working power of trusting in God.
Trust is firm not loose and God is the one who can be firmly trusted - Proverbs 3:5-6. Through history world-changing individuals have put their trust in God and gone on to impact their generation. Fear God, worship him and put your trust in God. Mistrust in Good is the root of sin and puts a stoppage between us and God's will for ourselves. The answer - recognise, repent and rejoice. God's word, Prayer, Others, Worship, Testimony, Repentance, Communion. All of these changes the atmosphere of your day and are based on trust
Come mining through the book of Leviticus as Paul goes looking for gold and gems of truth regarding God's will for our well-being. God told Moses he would not inflict disease on his people in the way that the Egyptian people experienced disease if they would follow his ways. Jesus himself was a healer of body, soul and spirit.
Learn what part you can play in working alongside God for your own well-being
Humans around the globe and across the total span of history have displayed a deep lack of contentment - a hunger for satisfaction. Using the story of the Biblical character Jacob, Theo presents to us the idea that a life story without a sense of resolution can be marked by a longing or dissatisfaction that can be unhelpful and unhealthy.
A constant longing for an answer that is just out of our reach, a feeling that our life has become a bit of a joke or a failure, a grab for blessing or success or fame done our own way. These things are not helpful for us, just as they were unhelpful for Jacob. However there is an answer and Theo explains to us God's plan for us to find satisfaction in life, so we don't become a bitter, jaded old Christian.
Prayer. How do you pray? When do you pray? Who do you pray for? Where do you pray? Do you know that prayer is a vital spiritual weapon in our lives? Praying is an interface between the physical, seen world and the transcendent, spiritual, unseen world. Bible stories such as the story of Daniel and his encounter with an angelic being exemplify the reality of the spiritual dimension of the world in which we live, and clearly paint a picture of a great cosmic battle going on around us and in us and though us. This message explains our role in this cosmic, spiritual battle.
We might know about God but do we know him personally? John 17:3 talks about having a personal relationship with God the Father and with Jesus his Son. God wants to find you. God wants to know you. God wants to love you. He wants you to experience more of Him. Be encouraged as you listen to Josh guide us into growing closer to God as we respond to God's initiatives to pursue us.
Apps like Tinder are both a shaper of our culture and a reflection of our culture. Sex has become an idol for many people. Intimate and caring, long term heterosexual relationships are under fire. A similar situation existed in a city called Corinth during the first century AD. Speaking from the biblical, "conventional" view of our relationships and sexuality. Is sex a performance or an opportunity to express love in the context of relationship? Why is pornography so addictive destructive? Dr John tells us why in this message.
The Dwelling Place
The Grainery Vision: On Earth as it is in heaven. Our Mission: Building the Kingdom of God within, among and beyond.
Ephesians 2:21-22 talks about the followers of Jesus being built together to become a dwelling place for God. Individually and corporately God himself lives in us. When we lead Holy lives this is an expression of Christ in us. When we become the dwelling place we grow into an intimate relationship with God.
Find out the changes that can happen in your life when you become God's dwelling place, as Pastor Sue opens up this transforming vision for 2018.
How much momentum do you have in your spiritual life? Is your faith rolling on unstoppable, growing, developing, or...are you stuck? Tim unpacks several Bible verses which will help you to understand the role and presence of the Holy Spirit in bringing power and momentum to your whole life. Do you want a new perspective and experience of the indwelling and overflowing of God's Spirit in the life of all believers? (John 7:37-40_. This message can change the momentum of your life.
No matter where we are in life's stages, or in its ups and downs, its joyful times or seasons of sadness, Psalm 16:8-9 says we can be glad and rejoice if we keep our eyes on the Lord.
God is continually building our character - so we can experience a sample of heaven in the here and now. Not just in church on Sunday but in all of life, we can have our character moulded into the image of Jesus. One result will be unity with other believers - Psalm 133.
Our freedom as Christians is so that we can serve and love others - showing Jesus to the world - and bringing heaven to earth.
Josh touches on many themes as he explores bringing heaven to earth.
Hard work, training, coaxing, encouragement. These things can help us to change, to rise up and achieve greater things than we ever thought possible.
In our spiritual life we need the encouragement of the scriptures to grow us and change us. God wants to make us more like Him, growing us through the limits and barriers that we face. Using Matthew 8:23-26. And other New Testament scriptures Pastor Sue explains how we can overcome by Jesus working in us, and influence practical everyday situations in our lives.
We need peripheral vision to develop peripheral mission. Jesus had this. Women at wells, men up trees, children seeking a blessing. No matter where he was heading, Jesus always found opportunities on the way there to minister, heal and engage with the last, the lost and the least. The story of Jesus raising Lazarus is explored by Kieren. He reveals God's heart for people and callus to share the practical love and healing power of Jesus with people we meet while we are "on the way" to somewhere else. Our "interruptions" are often our "opportunities"
What forms of worship are you used to? Reformed liturgy? Anglican prayer book? Pentecostal chandelier swinging? How necessary to you is that form? Can you worship God in a church that uses a different form? God is calling his church back to the heart of worship.
Matt shares from 2 Samuel 6 - the story of King David and his abandon to a passionate and selfless worship of God from a heart of love
"You should have known better - you reap what you sow". This idea of sowing and reaping is sometimes used in a negative way. However, if we apply this principle positively, we can change so many things. What's the vision you have for your life, for your church, for your city, for tomorrow's culture? Start sowing into these things in small ways now.
Don't give up. When you sow into the things of God, it will take time and there will be opposition.
Matt explains the complex relationship between sowing and reaping. Do yourself a favour and listen to Matt's message in order to future proof your life
We all plant and we all reap a harvest in life. Sow Godly ideas and thinking and reap Godly actions. Sow thoughts which increase the desires of your lower human nature and you will reap a whole lot of destructive behaviours which steal your love, joy, peace, health and in the end, your very life.
Sow to your higher spiritual nature and you will reap life in all its fullness. Being proud and being consumed with oneself sows to our human nature.
However, living with love for God and love for others allows life and light to flow through us to others, making us into the magnificent person we were meant to be. DO you want to know how to experience God's love? Do you want to know how to let the Bible and the Spirit of God produce a harvest of goodness all throughout your life? The answers are in this powerful message
What is righteousness? Is it a measure of how good we are? No. In terms of "goodness", we have nothing to offer to God. From the story of Elisha raising a young boy from the dead, Pastor Sue explains what it means to use the "weapons of righteousness" which God has placed in our right and left hands. The sword of righteousness is God's gift to us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour. When we feel useless or unworthy we just need to remember God's gift of righteousness, of being God's precious child, his heir, of his love freely poured out on us.
We then need to move from being a spectator of life to being a "player", a person who fights for goodness and justice and the advancement of the Kingdom of God in this world.
Then we can move from living life as a victim to living life as a victor.
We all know it's useful and helpful, but it doesn't always excite us. Sometimes we view the Bible like we view a set of instructions for a piece of IKEA furniture - we often need for it but think we can probably achieve the same outcome by trail and error.
2 Kings 22-23 tells the story of a Kong of Ancient Israel - King Josiah. Using the story of Josiah's discovery of God's word and his commitment to obey the word, Asher explains why it is so good for us to read the Bible.
2 Corinthians 5:14 speaks of believers dying to their old life just as Christ died for them. Beginning with this idea of dying to our old life, Sue teaches on the old life and the new life. the old self and the new self.
Is it so wrong to live for self? What does it mean to live for self?
Living to meet our own needs by own own means is a dangerous and shaky foundation to build a life upon. It can break relationships, it lowers our standards in many areas of ethics and behaviour. The new life is one of relying on God and being controlled by the love of Christ, leading to a life of "shalom"!
At Grapple, we wrestle with challenging aspects of the Christian faith.
This time: Hell. How bad is it? Could a loving God really send people there? Does it even exist?
John 13: 34-35.
Relationships can hurt you but they can also heal you. God has designed us as social beings. Our relationships teach us to love unconditionally. Caleb unpacks a series of points following the idea that the church is the "body" of Christ. Each Christian has a part to play in church. A healthy focus is on Jesus and then on others. The "Golden Rule" is found all over the world and comes from the teaching of Jesus on this topic. It builds community when we love others as we would like to be loved.
Ryan looks at this generations pursuit of happiness and how that relates to people's relationship with exploring the true meaning of freedom
BRAVE Women's Conference 2017 - Kim McManus - Saturday Afternoon by The Grainery Church
BRAVE Women's Conference 2017 - Group Panel w/ Margaret Stunt, Tania Harris, Kim McManus & Sue Irwin by The Grainery Church
BRAVE Women's Conference 2017 - Tania Harris - Saturday Afternoon by The Grainery Church
BRAVE Women's Conference 2017 - Margaret Stunt - Saturday Morning by The Grainery Church
BRAVE Women's Conference 2017 - Kim McManus - Friday Night Session by The Grainery Church
Guest speaker Margaret Stunt speaks on how to follow Jesus in everyday life. Looking at loving, listening, learning and leadership
Join special guest, Kim McManus as she explores how spiritual maturity requires us to delve deeper in the water with Jesus
Theo talks about submitting to God and his word and how in an age of individuality this is increasingly counter-cultural and radical.
Join Ps. Sue as she looks into the name and character of God - Yahweh. And how we can only achieve spiritual maturity by personally coming to know Yahweh and his character
Growing Stronger Panel w/ Pastor Sue Irwin. Dr John Attia, Pat Moir & Brit Darvas - AM Service by The Grainery Church
Why do we want to grow stronger? We need to wake up every day with a strong "why"? Is it to get people's attention? To meet a deep inner need? To beat other people? To prove something to someone?
From 1 Corinthians 3, Pastor Sue shows why and how to build a strong, healthy, positive life which flourishes and stands the test of time and eternity.
We are called to be someone amazing so we can reveal Jesus to the world - that's a big "why?".
Hear that explained in this powerful message by Pastor Sue.
Think of a person or a situation which hurt you emotionally. What happened to you on the inside when you thought of that situation? Probably a negative emotion or even a physical response arose within you. That feeling has most likely been affirmed by those you have told this story to. They have sympathised with you and blamed the person who hurt you. Hurts can place us in bondage if we do not forgive and move on. Stop living in the world of "judgement" where everything is "fair" and get into the world of "grace" where forgiveness reigns. Stop living with bitterness and anger and taking revenge. These enslave you. Forgive, and ask God to forgive you for harbouring unforgiveness
2007 was an incredible year - the official start date of the digital age. Imagine life without digital technology! However, distraction and addiction to phones, internet, busy-ness etc are leading us into spiritual oblivion as we leave no time for spiritual disciplines which lead to God. This message jolts us away from the spirit of this age and calls us back to eternal truths regarding intimacy with God through being followers of Jesus. John Mark explains the "why, how and what" of the spiritual disciplines which can revolutionise our relationship with God
From Genesis 2 and 3, Tim explains the story of the greatest deception in the history of man, explores deception's consequences, and expounds God's heart for rescuing man from deception's eternal consequences. Mankind has more knowledge, technology and science than ever before in history yet we still struggle with our own brokenness. These things are not the answer to the deepest of man's problems. God has the answer and it is found in only one person.
Many people, governments and organisations throughout the ages have tried to discredit or destroy the Bible. Yet, year after year, century after century it is the world's best seller. Pastor Paul explains how God's word impacted his life, as he took God at his word.
Friday night, and Saturday's sessions during the Men's Ministry with guest speaker John Mark Comer
Friday night, and Saturday's sessions during the Men's Ministry with guest speaker John Mark Comer
Friday night, and Saturday's sessions during the Men's Ministry with guest speaker John Mark Comer
People act on what they perceive to be true. God talk makes people feel something. Happiness, anger, fear, bitterness. Our experiences, personality and background all impact our feelings and thoughts toward God. However, an overflowing joy is the signature mark of someone who has truly experienced God as he really is and is continually experiencing God as he really is. Based on John Ch 4, Tim delivers a compelling message about the love of God for us who so badly need this joy found only in intimacy with God
Where is God when life falls apart? Richmond tells his incredible story. Growing up in crushing poverty in Uganda, Richmond's family was thrown into chaos when his father died. How would they survive now? God had only one plan for them. The church of Jesus Christ. According to Matthew 25:35-40 the church is God's "Plan A" for the relief of poverty, need and injustice in the earth. There is no "Plan B".
Richmond's testimony of how God rescued him from violence, poverty, hopelessness and malnutrition through the love and support of Compassion through the local church, will challenge you and inspire you.
Is God interested in you as a small individual in a big universe?
Why would a blameless and upright man be allowed to suffer terribly in this life? Does God initiate my suffering and that of mankind in general? Is there any point to suffering? Why do even Christians suffer depression and discomfort, and is the answer medicine or faith....or both?
How do we snap out of our mental and emotional pain? Have you ever asked any of these questions?
Then you need to listen to this powerful teaching on growing stronger through suffering. Then you can move from being a spiritual child to being a spiritual warrior, from being superficial to being a person of deep understanding, and from anger to forgiveness. You will move from a rule based way of life to a life pulsating with the heart and life of God following the example of Jesus.