Resurrection Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
RXHK
There is only one Gospel, but many counterfeits. The god-given message at the heart of the Christian faith is about rescue through the death of Jesus Christ. It is a gift, not a grind. Don't be deceived.
09-06-2024 - Lucas Durant
As Moses brings his final sermon to a close, he calls the people of God to action. Relationship with God is very near to us, we need only make a simple choice.
02-06-2024 - Lucas Durant
A Christian's relationship with God is both personal and collective. Moses shows how God's people are connected to one another across time and space, and he charges us to look after each other so that we might all enjoy God's blessings.
19-05-2024 - Kristian Odebjer
Sometimes Christians know what they have been saved from, but they fail to see what they have been saved for. Here we find a 5-fold programme for life-long discipleship and the motivation to live it out.
12-05-2024 - Lucas Durant
Moses tells us that God leads his beloved people into the wilderness with purpose. What could justify the hardships and suffering?
05-05-2024 - Lucas Durant
The greatest commandment, the one from which the rest of the law follows, is to whole-heartedly love God. Moses helps God's people look ahead to an uncertain future, and encourages them to consider the implications of maintaining and defending their love for God. But in the end, he points us to our only hope - God's steadfast love for us.
28-04-2024 - Lucas Durant
The Ten Commandments are god-given rules which reveal God's nature and our own. They are for our good and we break them at our peril. But God knows we will break them and he has made provision for our need.
21-04-2024 - Lucas Durant
Moses tells us that God's people today can know God by experience and to enjoy intimacy with him. The key is to go to where his presence is found - his word. But, he says, we must be very careful not to be enticed by counterfeits.
14-04-2024 - Lucas Durant
Deuteronomy is the final words of Moses' to God's people as they stand on the brink of entering the promised land. But they had been here before, 40 years ago. Why had it taken so long for them to finally enter into the good land God had prepared for them? The problem was the foolish human heart. God has a fool-proof solution.
07-04-2024 - Lucas Durant
The message of the Christian faith is good news that implicates all people, including you. Jesus is Lord of All, he is judge of all, and he offers forgiveness to all. These tremendous claims are backed up by publicly-attested evidence that is open to all.
31-03-2024 - Lucas Durant
The way that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem tells us everything we need to know - he is the humble king who fulfils the scriptures, the victorious king who comes to save, and the unsettling king who is rejected.
24-03-2024 - Lucas Durant
We live in a society obsessed with wealth, but Jesus says life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. How can we use wealth wisely, when all we see around us is foolishness? Learn to be rich toward God.
17-03-2024 - Lucas Durant
Jesus tells us that there is one necessary thing for every disciple. Just one! In a culture overburdened and carried away with multi-tasking, Jesus is an advocate for mono-tasking.
10-03-2024 - Lucas Durant
With the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus teaches us to see our neighbours with new eyes. Yet in order to see with new eyes, we will need new hearts.
03-03-2024 - Friedemann Barinske
Jesus sends his followers out as messengers to proclaim a powerful message that results in joy. We may imagine that the 'harvest is meager and the workers are just about adequate', but Jesus corrects our thinking. There are many people that are ready to come to Christ if only they can hear the message.
25-02-2024 - Lucas Durant
Where are you heading in life? Jesus' destination was heavenly glory, but his path there went through Jerusalem. Christian disciples are headed for glory with him, but to get there we must walk the path of the cross. It is a journey that gives meaning, purpose and joy. But it is a hard path.
18-02-2024 - Lucas Durant
Unthankfulness comes to all of us very easily. When it is allowed to take root and grow in our souls, it produces all manner of corruption and wickedness. The Psalms shows us how to uproot unthankfulness with prayer, so that we can become people overflowing with gratitude.
04-02-2024 - Lucas Durant
How do you know when God is guiding you? Can you tell the difference between his leading and your own strong desires? Psalm 25 is a prayer that helps us be the kind of people whom God guides.
28-01-2024 - Lucas Durant
Worship is the only thing that will transform us. But worship means ascribing worth to something in a way that engages our whole being - our emotions, our will and our mind. Is your whole life worship?
14-01-2024 - Lucas Durant
When worries, anger and other things keep us awake at night, how can prayer help? David gives us a model for evening prayers that have helped God's people down through history to have secure sleep.
07-01-2024 - Lucas Durant
God has established his king on earth. Our rebellion against God's king leads to perishing. Embracing God's king gives life. This reality should give form and content to our prayer life.
31-01-2023 - Lucas Durant
The New Creation will not only restore all things to the goodness of God's original design, but it will actually exceed the goodness of the original. Christians are therefore a people overflowing with hope. The Christian hope for the future shapes the Christian life in the present.
10-12-2023 - Lucas Durant
Is a better world possible? Yes! Not only possible, but certainly coming. Yet it is not within our power to bring it about. Our great hope is that one day God will make all things new.
03-12-2023 - Lucas Durant
When Christ comes again in glory, he will come as a conquering king, waging war with the sword of his mouth. He will defeat his enemies and cast them away. He will judge the living and the dead by two books. Is your name in the book of life?
26-11-2023 - Lucas Durant
The world system which opposes God and persecutes his people is coming to an end. Those who have been complicit with it and profited from it will mourn its passing. But those who have been invited to the supper of the lamb will rejoice.
19-11-2023 - Friedemann Barinske
The whole world system will come under God's righteous judgment for shedding the blood of his holy people. That is good news that frees us to live radically distinct lives in the present.
14-11-2023 - Lucas Durant
What could motivate someone to persevere in following Christ through persecution, when it would often be so much easier to give up? Revelation 14 gives us a window on two very different final destinations. Those who follow the lamb to victory will sing songs of endless praise. Those who follow the dragon will suffer defeat and endless torment.
05-11-2023 - Lucas Durant
Between Jesus' ascension and his return, the book of Revelation tells us that Satan rages on the earth. Chapter 13 reveals his favourite tactics - he turns the state and false religion into beasts that attack the church. Those who have ears to hear will be able to patiently endure.
29-10-2023 - Lucas Durant
For the "inhabitants of the earth", Satan is a powerful source of horror. For the Christians, he is a defeated enemy. For all his raging, God laughs and Christians are invited to do the same.
22-10-2023 - Lucas Durant
God commissions the church to be His faithful witness to the world, even in times of suffering and persecution. In the life, death and resurrection of the church, God's power is displayed.
19-10-2023 - Lucas Durant
After the 7 Seals reveal God's plan for history with a focus on the redeemed, the 7 trumpets show the same plan with a focus on the "inhabitants of the Earth". God's judgements are already evident in both the natural and supernatural evil we see in our world. It is just severe enough to drive everyone to despair or dependence.
08-10-2023 - Lucas Durant
Amidst all the tribulations that will certainly assail us, Christians are utterly secure. God has set his seal on his people, so that they will not only be preserved through suffering, but also - one day - praise God all the more because of the trials.
01-10-2023 - Lucas Durant
Revelation tells us that whatever it might look like around us, Christ is securely on the throne ruling over all things. In chapter 6 we begin to see His unfolding plan for history. When Christ sends his church out into the world to bring redemption and judgement to the ends of the earth, persecution follows. But Christ and his people are vindicated in the end.24-09-2023 - Lucas Durant
We were made to worship, but who or what will we worship? The secular liturgies of our culture train us to desire and worship the earthly kingdom. The book of Revelation opens a window on the liturgy of heaven and shows us the only one who is worthy of worship. As we join our voices with all creation in praise to him, we find our purpose.
17-09-2023 - Lucas Durant
Jesus wrote 7 letters to 7 churches delivering 7 different verdicts on their spiritual health. What can we learn from them today? We are part of a local church body where people are being discipled together. A compromised Christian witness is our greatest spiritual danger. Drawing near to him is the only guarantee of victory.
10-09-2023 - Lucas Durant
The source and content of what is revealed in the Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ. The book applies to churches in every era and location, encouraging hope and endurance among Christians. Because it shows us that Christ draws near to his people in reassurance as he directs history towards his return.
03-09-2023 - Lucas Durant
Hypocrisy is ugly, and is especially egregious when found among the people of God. The good news is God hates it and Christ condemns it. That is also the bad news for anyone whose words and deeds have not aligned. But Jesus is merciful and longs to protect us from the coming judgment.
27-08-2023 - Lucas Durant
After he had responded to their arguments, Jesus finally posed an argument of his own. After he had made his case "no one dared to ask him another question". How did he make an unanswerable case for skeptics to put their faith in him? He showed them what the scriptures say about him. And it is the key to faith, evangelism and spiritual growth.
20-08-2023 - Lucas Durant
When someone opposes the Christian faith - whether with arguments or with ridicule - how do you respond? Jesus shows us that we need never fear those who oppose the truth. Jesus goes on the offence against opposition, rebuking sin, arguing against error and calling people to faith in the true and living God.
13-08-2023 - Lucas Durant
Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a wonderfully generous feast prepared for people... who don't turn up! How does God respond to the rebellious rejection of some? He calls others to feast with him. Have you come to the feast?
06-08-2023 - Lucas Durant
In order to know if we are making progress, we have to know where we are going. The Scriptures tells us that the end goal for all of creation is entering the restful enjoyment of God. Are you making progress?
30-07-2023 - Lucas Durant
Why do the Prophets put such emphasis on the Sabbath-keeping? It is because it is a sign of the covenant between God and his people. If they know God as their creator and redeemer they will rest. If they reject rest, they deny God.
23-07-2023 - Lucas Durant
Sometimes the difficulties of life can feel like the intense heat of the desert sun bearing down on us. We will not survive for very long without spiritual refreshment. Will there be enough? Where can we find it? Isaiah tells us that there are wells of salvation along our journey's path.
25-06-2023 - Lucas Durant
In Abraham's final test, we discover the essence of God's call, the response of faith, and the provision of the lamb. Even when we can't see our way though a situation, faith means trusting that the LORD will see to it.
18-06-2023 - Lucas Durant
There is joy and laughter in the fulfillment of God's covenant promises. Recognising the sheer impossibility of his works gives great security to Christians.
11-06-2023 - Lucas Durant
When His people are radically faithless and are shockingly sinful, how does the LORD respond? He is faithful to his promises, he accomplishes his purposes and he sometimes even uses our faithlessness to achieve his own goals. What a good God!
04-06-2023
The Sodom and Gomorrah story is a sordid affair. What are we to make of it? That though the Lord patiently offers mercy at every opportunity, the day of his catastrophic judgment against the unrighteous is coming.
28-05-2023 - Lucas Durant
The promises of God made Sarah laugh, but it was cynical laughter. What she needed was her own encounter with the LORD. When the LORD comes down to meet us, he turns our cynicism to joy.
21-05-2023 - Lucas Durant
When the LORD made a covenant with Abraham and with his descendants, he gave the outward, visible sign of circumcision to signify and inward, spiritual reality.
14-05-2023 - Friedemann Barniske
Sarai and Abram doubted the Lord. They were worried that if they didn't see to their own needs and desires, they would never receive their blessing. But by grasping after their own reward, they ended up blowing up their own lives and the lives of the people around them. Hagar trusted the Lord who saw her. For when the Lord sees, he cares.
07-05-2023 - Lucas Durant
God is committed to blessing his people. He graciously offers us the reassurance of a covenant, and enters into a binding relationship with us. Here's the deal - He will keep the covenant, or he will bear the penalty; We will keep the covenant, or he will bear the penalty.
30-05-2023 - Lucas Durant
Where are we looking for paradise? Lot, who lived by sight, sought paradise in his surroundings. Abram, who lived by faith in the call of God, sought paradise in the gracious promises of Lord.
23-05-2023 - Lucas Durant
Why do over half the people on the planet look back to Abraham as their father in faith? What is it about him and his story that is so appealing? It isn't so much Abraham that is appealing, but the God of Abraham. Just when the radical intervention of God was desperately needed in the world, he called Abraham personally to a relationship of total dependence with missional purpose. Abraham believed God's gracious promises, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
16-04-2023 - Lucas Durant
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead disrupts the world as we know it. Those who have faith in the risen Lord inhabit a different universe from those who don't. Which world are you living in? Which world do you want to live in?
09-04-2023 - Lucas Durant
Religious people can sometimes make salvation more complicated than they need to be. But salvation is by grace through faith. And that faith has content - it is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. So how do people come to faith? They must hear the gospel message. Every Christian has been sent to proclaim it. How will you share it?
26-03-2023 - Lucas Durant
How does God guide us in life and equip us for every good work? Through the Holy Scriptures. Christians can build their lives on the Bible because it is wholly God-breathed, supremely beneficial and totally sufficient.
19-03-2023 - Lucas Durant
We are the church. We are a people saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and thereby adopted into the family of God. We are a family made up of all different kinds of people. How then should we relate to our Brothers and Sisters?
12-03-2023 - Heewoo Han
With all of the evidence pointing to the authority of Jesus as Lord, why do some remain in agnostic unbelief? Some people see the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies by Jesus, they hear his authoritative teaching and read eyewitness testimony about his miraculous deeds - yet they never move beyond "I don't know." Why?
21-02-2023 - Lucas Durant
Many people carry a sentimental, one-dimensional picture of Jesus in their minds; they think of him as a cardigan-wearing, soft-spoken, broad-smiling man who left everyone with a warm fuzzy feeling. But Jesus' first act of business after announcing himself as king was radically confrontational. What makes Jesus angry? Unfruitful religion. Why is that good news? Because the true religion he came to establish is beautiful.
12-02-2023 - Lucas Durant
The way that Jesus entered into Jerusalem was intentionally designed as a public announcement - Jesus is the Messiah. The crowds got the message and celebrated. The triumphal entry shows us that Jesus is the humble and victorious saviour, but that is also unsettling.
05-02-2023 - Lucas Durant
Should Christians be ambitious for greatness? Certainly the twelve disciples were. Jesus teaches that ambition can be good or bad depending on whether we are imitating the kings of the earth or the King of heaven. Greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven means following the pattern of King Jesus.
29-01-2023 - Lucas Durant
Does God give people what they deserve? Is he fair in the way he deals with people? According to Jesus, God is pleased to be more generous than we would like. So how will we react?
22-01-2023 - Jon Polk
High achieving people often see religion as one more sphere - like work or education or the arts - where they can earn recognition and reward. Jesus says that only those who come to God like little children can enter the kingdom of heaven. Grace is given to those with empty hands.
15-01-2023 - Ariel Pinero
Modern society tells a story about marriage that puts our need for self-expression at the center. Accordingly, if my marriage isn't helping me in my journey of self-discovery, then perhaps it's time for a divorce. But Jesus tells a different and much better story about marriage and singleness with God's glory at the center. Whose story are you living in?
08-01-2023 - Lucas Durant
As we begin a new calendar year, are you happy? Psalm 1 tells us that the key to a true happiness is knowing and believing the word of God. This way to a flourishing and fruitful life!
01-01-2023
A whole lot of wrapping has gone into the birth of Jesus - the angels, the star, the shepherds and wise men - but who is the gift for? The coming of Jesus Christ is for you!
25-12-2022 - Lucas Durant
Where is God at work in the world? In the dark. Christmas is good news for people dwelling in deep darkness.
24-12-2022 - Lucas Durant
All-Age Service. How do we know what God is like? Is it even possible? At Christmas we remember that he has publicly and definitively shown us both THAT he is and WHO he is. He announced his love in the cries of a newborn baby.
18-12-2022 - Lucas Durant
According to Jesus, there is a day of judgment coming when he returns. On that day, which will come suddenly and soon, his lordship will be undeniable - everyone will confess his authority whether in joy or in terror. So we must keep watch and not allow ourselves to be distracted as we wait.
11-12-2022 - Lucas Durant
What should we expect when the Lord appears? The Old Testament prophets foretold apocalyptic judgment and salvation raining down all at once. John the Baptist said the same. But when Christ finally appeared, God's plan proved more gracious than anticipated.
05-12-2022 - Lucas Durant
God designed the local church to be the pillar and foundation of Truth, so that all people might hear and recieve the Gospel. As Paul finishes his letter, he reinforces some of the key ideas that will keep Timothy and the whole church fit for God's purpose. He ends with a final command, a final encouragement and a final application.
27-11-2022 - Lucas Durant
Healthy teaching, which agrees with the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, produces godly living. But "other teaching", which has its source in arrogant know-nothings, produces all manner of sinfulness. Paul shows us how godliness with contentment is great gain.
20-11-2022 - Lucas Durant
The reputation of the local church matters, because it God's way of holding up and holding out the truth to the world. Therefore, Paul says in 1 Timothy 5, Christians should give appropriate honour to the neediest people, to Bible teachers and to employers.
14-11-2022 - Lucas Durant
The God of the Bible calls himself the defender of widows and the father of the fatherless. He commands his people to care for widows, orphans and aliens in their midst. So what part does mercy ministry or social care play in God's design for the local church? It is a necissary, but limited, ministry which helps the church display the truth of the gospel and the value of godliness to a watching world.
06-11-2022 - Lucas Durant
Paul writes to Timothy in full hearing of the church in Ephesus, encouraging him to persevere in reading, preaching and teaching the Scriptures. When distractions appear and detractors arise, the consistent setting forth of the Gosepl in life and in doctrine remain the one necissary thing.
30-10-2022 - Rob Nollan
Growing in godliness does not happen by accident. It is hard work requiring discipline and training. Those who cut corners and avoid the work will leave themselves vulnerable to demons, deceptions and deprivations. Those who train in godliness will benefit in every way both in this life and the life to come.
23-10-2022 - Jon Polk
All-Age Service. God has constructed the church with a particular goal - that the church should be a pillar and foundation of the truth. Every local church is therefore meant to hold up and hold out the truth of the Gospel to a lost world. By both its doctrine and conduct the church holds up the mystery of godliness.
16-10-2022 - Lucas Durant
God has given the local church a central role in proclaiming the message of Christ's salvation to the world. But who could be qualified to lead God's people in such a momentous task? Ordinary Christians living godly lives. What does godliness look like in practice? Certain individual personal qualities, proven relational responsibility and widely-recognised respectability. 09-10-2022 - Lucas Durant
God wants all people to be saved, and he is using local churches to carry out his saving plan. Men and women were created to play different yet complementary roles in His strategy. When a church rejects God's design, it hampers the church's ability to carry out its mission. When the church embraces God's design, it will be more effective in the its work, and individuals will be able to live alongside and relate to one another as they were made to do.
02-10-2022 - Lucas Durant
The local church should not only be concerned with local matters. God has given each church a universal responsibility - we must pray for all people. Why? Because God wants all people to be saved.
25-09-2022 - Lucas Durant
When God established the Church, what did he design it to do? Is each church meant to come up with their own goals, or is there a mission and a focus that Christians should have in every local church? Paul gives Timothy a trustworthy mission statement worthy of universal acceptance.
18-09-2022 - Lucas Durant
One of the great threats to the life of a local church is different doctrine. Even in the earliest days of the church, certain people were putting the plain truths of scripture aside so that they could entertain wild speculation, provoke controversy, and prove the righteousness of their own group over and above others. But there is only one trustworthy truth which can purify hearts, make good consciences and produce sincere faith; anything different is meaningless talk.
11-09-2022 - Lucas Durant
All-Age Service. How do you feel about church? Do you think it is pleasant but bad for you...like junk food? Do you think it is good for you but unpleasant... like medicine? Psalm 133 tells us that God designed church to be good and pleasant. So good and pleasant that the only way to describe it is that it is like precious oil running down a beard....wait, what?
04-09-2022 - Lucas Durant
Would we notice if the LORD's presence departed from a person's life, a church, or a nation? And if we wanted to bring his presence and blessing back, how could that be done? It won't be through our efforts, but for the sake of His promises alone.
28-08-2022 - Lucas Durant
It is possible to praise God from places of darkness in life. In Psalm 130 we see how to navigate the deeply distressful times, moving from an inarticulate cry to a resolute hope.
23-08-2022 - Lucas Durant
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived and the greatest king in Israel's history, wrote Psalm 127 so that all who came after him could learn from his mistakes. He uses three activities common to life in every era - building a house, securing a city and raising children - to show that we are dependent on the LORD's providence in every area of life. Apart from the Lord's blessing, all our attempts to build a secure and substantial life for ourselves will be pointless, restless and fruitless. But the person who builds their life on the firm foundation of the Lord Jesus will be substantial, well-rested and fruitful.
14-08-2022 - Lucas Durant
Every Christian will be able to look back on the great restorations the Lord has performed - both in salvation history and in their personal history as well. Psalm 126 teaches us not to be content with nostalgia for God's works in the past, but to pray for great restorations in the present as well. Some restorations may be sudden and sweeping, others may require long stretches of sowing in tears before the harvest of joy comes. Yet we can be confident that the Lord will restore.
07-08-2022 - Lucas Durant
As we look back over our lives, we all sometimes think 'what if'. There are certain moments that make us consider how very different things could have gone. Psalm 124 invites the people of God to consider 'what if' the Lord had not been on our side? It's a terrifying proposition... but thankfully it is only a thought experiment for those in Christ.
31-07-2022 - Lucas Durant
What do you need help with in your life? We're all in need of help; sometimes we're in need of more help than we know. From where will your help come? Psalm 121 is a song that helps Christians confront their fears and say with complete confidence - My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
24-07-2022 - Lucas Durant
Many people who live in Hong Kong are not really living here in their hearts and minds. They are dislocated and homesick and long to 'go back' to another place. Christians are also a homesick people, longing for a place free from destructive lies and deceptions. But where should we go? The Songs of Ascents are songs for a pilgrim people who know that they cannot 'go back', so they must 'go up'.
17-07-2022 - Lucas Durant
Our God is generous. One of the reasons why Christians work is so that we can be generous too. But what does Christian generosity look like? Christian generosity is rooted in humility, builds fellowship and produces joy.
10-07-2022 - Lucas Durant
The Bible tells us both that we were made to work, but that our work has been frustrated by sin. Thanks be to God that the Bible is a story of redemption. Jesus Christ has given Christians good goals for our work , good standards to guide our work, good character to inform our work, and good discernment to rightly judge our work.
03-07-2022 - Lucas Durant
If God created us to work, why is our work so often painful, frustrating, difficult and futile? It is because our work, along with every other part of creation, has been cursed due to sin. Knowing the truth about sin's impact on our work safeguards us from naievety and disappointment.
26-06-2022 - Lucas Durant
God made us in His own image and He gave us a special role in creation. God commanded humanity to rule over the earth like He rules - with creativity, generosity, and love. But how do we do that? Through work.
20-06-2022 - Lucas Durant
Where can we find hope and help when life seems hopeless and we feel helpless? First, we need to understand why we experience hopeless helplessness. Second, we need to hear the hope of salvation. Third, we need to use the God-given means of revival.
12-06-2022 - Lucas Durant
If we want to see people become Christians, what should we say and how should we say it? Peter's first sermon on Pentecost shows that prayerful, bold and public proclaimations about Jesus' life, death and resurrection demand a response.
22-05-2022 - James Hall
"I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." That's a good thing, isn't it? So why does it make Jonah angry? God's compassion is much more expansive than we imagine, and our perspectives are much narrower than we pretend.
15-05-2022 - Lucas Durant
Having been to hell and back, Jonah finally arrived in Nineveh with the word from the Lord. The people sees Jonah and his message as a warning sign and they leap into action. The word of the Lord is powerful, compelling all who hear it to turn from sin to Christ.
08-05-2021 - Lucas Durant
Jonah was swallowed by a fish and survived for three days and three nights. But that's not the surprising part of the story. God's punishment for sin is terrifying. God's rescue for sinners is available.
01-05-2022 - Lucas Durant
Christians know that we are supposed to tell others the gospel of Jesus Christ, but are we actually doing it? Jonah is a powerful example of someone whose doctrine and lifestyle were out of alignment. In this first chapter we find both rebuke and encouragement for reluctant evangelists.
24-04-2022 - Lucas Durant
"Why do you look for the living among the dead?" Christ is Risen and that changes everything!
17-04-2022 - Lucas Durant
"The steadfast love of the Lord endures forever." This is a repeated refrain throughout the Bible. What difference does it make? How do we know it's true? And why would it be worth singing about?
10-04-2022 - Lucas Durant
God is outrageously forgiving, therefore Christians should forgive to the utmost.
03-04-2022 - Lucas Durant
How far would God go to seek and save the lost? How far would you go to do the same? According to Jesus, sometimes confrontation is good and necissary to bring a straying Christian back.
27-03-2022 - Lucas Durant
What does it take to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus says to get in and to go up in his kingdom, we must lower ourselves like children, welcome nobodies and overcome what must come.
20-03-2022 - Lucas Durant
Where does spiritual transformation take place? Is it usually in the "mountain-top experiences" where we find God? Or is it rather in the valley of the shadow of death where profound faith is forged? It's only when we come to the end of ourselves that we discover the power of Jesus Christ.
13-03-2022 - Lucas Durant
We live in an age of distraction with endless images assaulting our senses and voices demanding our attention. To whom should we listen? The transfiguration draws attention to one voice above all others. Listen to Him.
06-04-2022 - Lucas Durant
The evidence and measure of our progress in the Christian life is our willingness to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. Only those who hear and respond to His call will receive the crown of life. Cross first, then crown!
27-02-2022 - Lucas Durant
When we are clear about who Jesus is, it good news for our faith and a firm foundation for the church. Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God. Therefore, He will build his church, the gates of hades will not overcome it and the voice of God is heard across the earth.
20-02-2022 - Lucas Durant
Both cynical skepticism and demands for more can shipwreck our faith. Jesus exposes the irrationality of his opponents in order to warn us away from their false teaching. Come see the riches of grace offered by Jesus.
13-02-2022 - Lucas Durant
How far does God's grace extend? Who is inside the Kingdom of God and who is out? We tend to draw the boundaries in convenient places for ourselves. Jesus shows that no group of people must be excluded - all who come to him in faith will be embraced.
06-02-2022 - Lucas Durant
All human beings have traditions that they observe. But when human traditions begin to supplant God's word and God's ways, they become spiritually dangerous. We easily begin to think we know better than God. Jesus shows that not only is God's word and God's way more compassionate, it is also the only way to deal with our deepest problem - our heart.
30-01-2022 - Barnabas Akinniyi
We live in an age of anxiety. Will my needs be met? Will difficulties overwhelm me? Are my resources sufficient? Does anyone care about me? Christ is full of compassion and he deals with us gently. Enjoy him!
23-01-2022 - Lucas Durant
The natural inclination of the human heart is to recognise Jesus' power and authority yet reject him. Why? And how can we avoid doing the same?
Niels van de Kasteele - 16-01-2022
One of the highest expressions of praise is rapt silence. In Psalm 65, the psalmist tells us that the Lord is worthy of such silent praise for his abundant grace, his abundant power and his abundant provision. How will you pause all the noise in life to silently praise Him?
09-01-2022 - Lucas Durant
King David knew what it was like to be afraid for his life. Yet, when reflecting on one of the scariest times of his life, he writes - 'When I am afraid, I am not afraid.' He found that by trusting in God's Word, he could overcome real fears. Christians can do the same.
02-01-2022
All throughout this letter Paul has been pointing the Colossians back to the fullness of what they have received in Jesus Christ. If Christians have already received everything from Jesus, then authentic Christian spirituality is not about self-improvement or self-realisation. Truly spiritual Christians will partner together to share the riches of Christ others.
12-12-2021 - Lucas Durant
What is God telling us in Baptism? It is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace. It declares the promises of God to both the one being baptised and to the church, and calls us to put our faith in the promise-making God.
05-12-2021 - Lucas Durant
Where is genuine Christian spirituality most clearly displayed? Not primarily in religious rituals or in the observance of strict rules or in supernatural experiences, but in 'whatever' a christian might do! Because Christ is Lord over everything, when we relate to him rightly it changes everything we do. Colossians 3 shows how Christian faith transforms both home-life and work-life.
28-11-2021 - Lucas Durant
When Paul says to Christians 'Christ is your life' it's not a metaphor. Christ is the one by whom and through whom and in whom the whole universe was created and is sustained. He is the one who gives both physical and spiritual life. So what does it mean for Christians to live as people who have been made alive in Christ? It means putting to death what we were and becoming more and more what we already are.
21-11-2021 - Rob Nollan
Christians have been set free by Jesus Christ. But that doesn't prevent false teachers from trying to take us captive. Hollow legalists will try to judge us. Deceptive mystics will try to disqualify us. And strict ascetics will try to enslave us. But know that all of their man-made religion is of no value, because what Christ gives us is completely sufficient.
14-11-2021 - Lucas Durant
Paul tells Christians to "Watch out!" There are false teachers who are seeking to take us captive with their teaching. How can we safeguard ourselves, our loved ones and other Christians we know? Stay in union with Christ and remember the spiritual fullness that he has given us.
07-11-2021 - Lucas Durant
Jesus Christians are Bible Christians. We need to know God’s Word because it reveals Jesus, matures us and protects us from deception.
31-10-2021 - Al Gibbs
Where does Jesus fit in to God's purposes for the universe? This section of Colossians tells us that is the wrong question to be asking! Rather, Jesus is the one by whom and through whom and for whom the whole universe was made! God's purpose is to reconcile the world to himself through Him!
24-10-2021 - Jon Polk
What does authentic spirituality look like? According to many popular authors, speakers and influencers it is a matter of performing the right spiritual practices. Christianity says something completely different. The message of the gospel makes us and moulds us into genuinely spiritual people - people full of hope, faith and love.
17-10-2021 - Lucas Durant
When we are united in a common project humanity is incredibly capable. Yet in our collective arrogance, humanity's most ambitious aims are characterised by defiance toward God. We want to determine our own identity and purpose, we want to impose our own will on the world in the present and control the future. How does God respond? He mercifully frustrates human pride.
10-10-2021 - Lucas Durant
Is there hope for humanity? With climate change, war, and all manner of other dangers it can sometimes seem like the world is teetering on the edge. But God has promised to preserve humanity and the whole of creation, so that his saving purposes can be accomplished.
03-10-2021 - Lucas Durant
The entire story of Noah and the great flood turns on one key phrase - "God remembered Noah...". What does it mean for God to 'remember' and how can we find comfort in the idea that God remembers us? Hear how your conversion to faith in Christ is the decisive moment of grace that changes everything.
26-09-2021 - Lucas Durant
Does God care about the injustices of this world? The flood narrative tells us that he does, and it gives us a paradigm for understanding God's judgment. When God judges, his judgment is just, comprehensive, and sudden.
19-09-2021 - Lucas Durant
Humanity's verdict about itself is that we are fundamentally good. We see evil in the world and we tell ourselves it is the exception. But God's verdict is very different. The Lord says there is a moral problem at the heart of humanity that is universal, absolute, internal and continual. Because that is the truth about us, God's grace is our only hope.
Lucas Durant - 12-09-2021
We live in an era with incredible unearned confidence in the idea that humanity can help itself. The promise of medical science, of consumer electronics, and of political movements alike is that our salvation is right around the corner. But the truth is that all our attempts to help ourselves are swallowed up by death. If there is hope for humanity (and there is!) it must come supernaturally from outside of us.
Lucas Durant - 05-09-2021
Sometimes we get caught up in sin. When we do, the way out starts with confession. But where do we go from there? Ezra 10 gives us an example of what genuine repentance looks like. But it should serve as a warning to us - flee from sin to Christ now because the longer we wait, the messier it will get.
15-08-2021 - Lucas Durant
When the people of God begin to compromise with the world and lose their distinctiveness, it is a spiritual disaster. When an individual or a church realises that it has departed from God's word, how should they respond? Genuine confession. Ezra gives us a model for confession.
09-08-2021 - Lucas Durant
Ezra leads the people of God in a way that depends upon the provision and protection of the hand of God.
01-08-2021 - Algie Ko
In our frustration and disappointment we easily write off both individuals and groups. But God loves to do surprising things through those who have been written off. Out of Babylon, God raised up Ezra as a faithful reformer who would lead His people to great effect. What will our greater leader, Jesus Christ, accomplish through us?
25-07-2021 - Lucas Durant
Relentless opposition can lead to discouraged Christians. How can drooping hands and weak knees be strengthened? Ezra 5-6 shows that when the word of God stirs us and the providence of God surrounds us, the Joy of the Lord will fill us.
18-07-2021 - Lucas Durant
There are people and spiritual forces at work in the world that see God as the enemy and his people as the target. They still use the same tactics today that they used millennia ago to discourage, derail and destroy the people of God. When the opposition try to infiltrate, intimidate and relentlessly attack, how should we respond? Persevere in faithful obedience, trusting God with the results.
11-07-2021 - Lucas Durant
The centre of the Christian message is an act of sacrifice - Christ's sacrifice of Himself on the cross. The cross should also be at the centre of who we are as the people of God, shaping our lives, our families and the church. As the Israelites re-lay the foundations of the temple in Ezra 3, we find a model for re-laying the foundations of our lives as well.
04-07-2021 - Lucas Durant
God works out his purposes for the world through groups of diverse and devoted people. He is calling you to join in with his mission and to bring your family too. Playing your role within the church body will impact the world far beyond what you could imagine.
27-07-2021 - Lucas Durant
What drives the course of history? And where is it headed? Some people would say that history is the product of time and chance. Others would argue that history is simply written by the winners. Ezra, however, pulls back the curtain of world history to reveal that it has always been driven by a sovereign decree.
20-06-2021 - Lucas Durant
Christians believe that God is all-powerful and completely good. Yet we live in a world where evil exists. Why would a good God delay in dealing with evil? Why wouldn't an all-powerful God do something about suffering in the world before it is too late? Does God care about what goes on in this world? John 11 shows us that Jesus cares very deeply, and he is good enough and powerful enough to save.
13-06-2021 - Lucas Durant
Some people who meet Jesus are immediately and irrevocably changed for the better by the encounter. Yet some people are unmoved, and some even become hostile to him. How can we explain these mixed responses that we read about in the New Testament and that we see in the life of the church today? It is because only a miracle can open blind eyes.
06-06-2021 - Lucas Durant
The Gospels are full of accounts of Jesus performing many miracles. Some people find these episodes difficult to believe and consider them to be a stumbling block to faith. But the reality is that only a supernatural Christ is worth our belief.
30-05-2021 - Lucas Durant
When people are desperate they often go looking for help in all sorts of unlikely places. Sometimes Jesus, in his mercy, will come along and ask a surprising question that penetrates right down to the heart - "Do you want to get well?" How we respond can be very revealing.
23-05-2021 - Lucas Durant
Christianity has radically changed the way entire societies deal with death. Belief in Jesus Christ has the power to transform us too. But we must believe rightly by taking Jesus at His word.
17/05/2021 - Lucas Durant
The signs that Jesus performs in the Gospel of John are meant to help us come to know and believe in Him. But what kind of sign was it when he cleared the temple with a whip? What could make him so angry? His passion for God to be known and worshipped.
09-05-2021 - Lucas Durant
John's Gospel tells us of several signs performed by Jesus that were designed to reveal His glory and convince us that He is the divine Christ. Jesus' first sign was to turn water into wine. Why would he do that and what are we supposed to understand from it? It shows us something of the overwhelmingly abundant goodness of God.
02-05-2021 - Al Gibbs
1 Corinthians 16 contains Paul's travel itinerary, closing remarks and personal greetings. What are we to make of it? By close attention to the people Paul mentions, we can see that the church in Corinth was made up of all kinds of people fulfilling all sorts of roles; much like our church today. Which part are you playing?
25-04-2021 - Jon Polk
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can give us hope in the face of death. But did it really happen? The Christian faith hangs entirely on the truth of two historical public events, evidenced by two undeniable historical facts.
04-04-2021 - Lucas Durant
"Could God really forgive someone like him?!" When we compare ourselves to others, we tend to think we are worthy of God's mercy but that others are beyond His forgiveness. At the cross we see that God does not judge who is in and who is out by our arbitrary standards. Rather he has a standard of his own!
31-03-2021 - Lucas Durant
On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But what kind of king is he? Luke's account shows us that he is humble and compassionate, even though his subjects don't deserve it. Will you give him praise?
28-03-2021 - Lucas Durant
What does spirit-filled, God-honouring worship look like? According to Paul it should be well-ordered, giving people time to think, process and understand God's Word. Our God-given spiritual gifts can and should work to that end.
21-03-2021 - Lucas Durant
Some spiritual gifts are more appropriate and more desirable for gathered worship. Paul says that we should desire these greater gifts and put them to use for the good of the whole church. He uses the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy as examples of how to make the best use of what the Spirit gives.
14-03-2021 - Lucas Durant
Churches get into trouble when they confuse giftedness with godliness. The truth is that very gifted people can be totally useless to the church. What makes our spiritual gifts useful? Love.
07/03/2021 - Lucas Durant
Are you a spiritual person? If you are a Christian, then you are! Everyone who can honestly say that 'Jesus is Lord' has the Holy Spirit indwelling them and they have been given spiritual gifts for the common good of the Church.
28-02-2021 - Lucas Durant
Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper to enliven, strengthen and confirm our faith. And when we partake in it rightly, it does. But it is possible to eat and drink in an unworthy manner and to bring judgment. Paul helps us to see what the Lord's Supper is and how to benefit from it.
21-02-2021 - Lucas Durant
God created humanity in His image, both male and female, and designed us for relationship. He calls men and women to a relationship of complementary difference. And He calls the church to display the wisdom of his design to the whole of creation.
14-02-2021 - Lucas Durant
How can we make godly decisions in an impious age? Paul gives us three principles that can help us navigate the difficult questions of how to remain faithful to the God of the Bible when we are surrounded by false gods.
07-02-2021 - Lucas Durant
As Christians living in a predominately pagan culture we are surrounded by idolatry. How concerned should we be? Should we take a relaxed, 'no worries' approach? Should we fear it? Paul tells us to learn from our ancestors in the Old Testament.
31-01-2021 - Lucas Durant
How would Christians live if the gospel was their singular focus? They would be totally free, but they would use their freedom to serve others. They would be radically self-denying, but their joy would be complete. They would be incredibly motivated, and certain of their success.
24-01-2021
resurrection.org.hk/give
What kind of Christian ministry is worth paying for? And how much should we pay those who do the ministry? The first half of 1 Corinthians 9 shows us some key principles that help churches use their money well, and prevent us from paying either too much or too little to those who preach and teach God's word.
17-01-2021 - Lucas Durant
When it comes to matters not directly addressed by scripture, how can we make sure that our decision-making is properly Christian? Christian moral reasoning isn't about what we know... or at least it isn't ONLY about what we know... it's about whether who we love. See what a discussion about food offered to idols can teach us about loving people in 21st century Hong Kong.
10-01-2021 - Lucas Durant
What would you give everything to obtain? The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else. If that's not how we see things, then we haven't yet understood what Jesus came to give.
03-01-2021 - Niels van de Kasteele
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27-12-2020 - Lucas Durant
Jesus' birth is good news of great joy for all people.
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20-12-2020 - Lucas Durant
What does it look like when the Kingdom of Heaven grows? At first it may not look like much is going on at all. It may seem weak in comparison to the evil that surrounds it. But as it grows it begins to powerfully change the world.
06-12-2020 - Lucas Durant
How does the kingdom of God spread and grow? By the widespread broadcast of the gospel. The parable of the sower shows that as God's word is scattered abroad it is always effective in reveal the truth about our hearts.
29-11-2020 - Lucas Durant
Sometimes a request for a miraculous sign an act of rebellion and an indication of a defective heart. Jesus calls us to repent of our false expectations and to allow his Spirit to transform us.
22-11-2020 - Al Gibbs
Jesus Christ plainly revealed who he was and what he came to do during his earthly ministry. Both his friends and his enemies saw him perform miraculous works. Yet he received mixed reviews, with some people celebrating him as the Messiah and some people calling him Satan himself. How can we explain the different responses that he received both then and now? 15-11-2020 - Lucas Durant
Jesus and his disciples often came into conflict with religious rules and traditions of their time. The religious officials accused them of throwing out God's commands, but Jesus was only throwing out their faulty teachings. Jesus came to give his people God's promised rest, and no human tradition can stand in his way.
08-11-2020 - Niels van de Kasteele
If you had to describe who Jesus Christ is in his innermost being, how would you describe him? While we might use lots of words, and many would be accurate, Jesus describes himself like this - "I am gentle and humble in heart." This makes Jesus utterly different, and it is why all people should come to him.
01-11-2020 - Lucas Durant
What happens when our expectations of Jesus are not met? We might immediately feel disappointment and frustration, but how should we respond? This passage helps us see the difference between honest doubt and culpable disbelief.
25-10-25 - Lucas Durant
We live in a fallen world, but progress is possible. Despite the corrupting influence of sin, God-given common grace means that human efforts can advance human flourishing. But Christians shouldn't be naive optimists - sin will always advance alongside and at the same pace as progress. Our only hope, therefore, is to call on the name of the LORD.
18-10-2020 - Lucas Durant
Does God ever reject our worship? And if so, what kind of worship is acceptable to Him? In Genesis 4 we see that the effects of sin are far reaching - twisting our emotions, polluting family relationships, and driving us out of the presence of God. And yet we also discover that the Lord's mercy extends further still.
11/10/2020 - Lucas Durant
Sin is rebellion against God and justice demands that it must be punished. In Genesis 3 we see God subject the creation to frustration through a series of curses. Yet at the same time we see the seed of God's redemption plan being revealed. God is so good that even his curses bring blessings.
04-10-2020 - Lucas Durant
Sin is rebellion against God. At the moment when the first humans rejected God's Word to them and chose to live without reference to Him, the snake promised that their eyes would be opened. This section of Genesis tells us what they saw, and it explains what we see all around us.
27-09-2020 - Lucas Durant
What is the biggest problem facing our world? What is the biggest problem you face? Are the two linked? According to the Bible, the root cause of all our problems - large or small - is the same. If we trace every danger, every sadness, every difficulty back - we end up in a garden with two trees at the centre.
20-09-2020 - Lucas Durant
Marriage is key part of God's plan to make his creation flourish. While not every person will marry (nor should they), every person will be be affected by the quality of the marriages that surround them. Marriages that operate according to the creator's plan make humankind thrive.
13 September 2020 - Lucas Durant
Work is part of life, but would we be better off without it? Not according to the Bible! In Genesis 2 we see that work is essential to human life. In our work we get to reflect something of who God is, and through our work we can bring about a more flourishing world.
06-09-2020 - Lucas Durant
Why did God create everything? If we know the purpose for which God created us, then we will be able to determine how we should live. According to the introductory prologue of the Bible, the goal of human life is to rest with God.
30-08-20 - Lucas Durant
Who are you? The way you answer that question will determine how you live and how you treat others. Genesis tells us that we are creatures made in God's image. Discover what that means about you, me and everyone you know.
23-08-2020 - Lucas Durant
Why is there something rather than nothing? The answer to that question of origin gives us meaning and morality. The scripture speaks very clearly against the false origin stories of ancient societies and just as clearly against the false origin stories of secular materialism. Come hear the better word that 'God said...'
16-08-2020 - Lucas Durant
How can we tell the difference between saving faith and false beliefs? It isn't about quantity of faith, it is about the content of faith. True faith is belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
02-08-2020 - Lucas Durant
"God is love" says John. But how do we know? We know because the Father sent His Son into the world to give us life. And Christians are called to live lives of love in response.
26-07-20 - Lucas Durant
Is it possible to verify spiritual claims? The Apostle John tells us that it is, and he commands us to test every spirit! Two simple tests can tell us whether a teacher is speaking from God's Spirit of truth or from a worldly spirit of falsehood.
19-07-2020 - Lucas Durant
How can we distinguish counterfeit Christianity from genuine faith? The Apostle John says we have to know what love is. Those who harbour hatred for their Christian brothers and sister cannot have the love of God dwelling in them. Those who show the selfless-sacrificial love of Jesus Christ toward God's people have passed from death to life.
12-07-2020 - Lucas Durant
The Bible calls Christians the children of God - and that is not just positive-thinking - that is what Christians actually are! Christians are meant to bear a family resemblance to their Heavenly Father and to His Son Jesus Christ. This section of 1 John shows us that such family resemblance is not only possible, it is inevitable for those in whom God has planted the Holy Spirit.
05-07-20 - Lucas Durant
Even a confident Christian must still be on guard against dangers. Unless we know the truth about the world and the truth about Jesus, we can easily be led astray. But when remain in the truth, God's Spirit remains in us.
28-06-2020 - Lucas Durant
How can we determine whether we - or others - are in fellowship with God? Some might point to spiritual experiences, others to intense emotions, still others to intellectual attainment - but none of those are good indicators. The Apostle John says if we want to know whether a person loves God, we need to see whether they obey His commands. And the church is the key place where we will see God's Word being lived out.
21-06-20 - Lucas Durant
How can sinful people have fellowship with a holy God? John wants us to be confident of our standing before God, not by denying our sin, but by allowing God to properly deal with it. See how the the death of Jesus should make us both completely honest about our sin and completely secure of our salvation.
14-06-20 - Lucas Durant
How can we have fellowship with God? According to John, Jesus’ ‘beloved disciple’, it is only by hearing and believing the eye witness testimony about Jesus.
07-06-20 - Lucas Durant
Is it really possible for any of us to 'be good'? Every Christian knows the difficulty of resisting sin. Most of us will sometimes feel like just giving up the struggle for goodness. Yet in Ephesians 4 we see that goodness is possible because of Jesus' grace.
31-05-20 - Darren Pollock
How can Paul rejoice even when he was wrongly imprisoned? How can a church community rejoice even when relationships aren't easy? How can we rejoice when life circumstances are not happy? For the Christian there is always an overflowing source of joy.
24-05-20 - Al Gibbs
In culture of instant gratification, is patience possible? According to James, patience is an essential element of the life of faith and he gives us tools to persevere in it.
17-05-20 - Alex McCoy
"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." (Proverbs 25:28) How can we grow in self-control? God's grace motivates us, God's people encourage us, God's glory compels us.
10-05-20 - James Hall
Is is possible to have hope in times like these? Hope requires more than mere wishful thinking. Christians have a firm foundation for their hope, even in terrible circumstances.
02-05-20 - Alex McCoy
How can we find peace in the midst of difficulty, or even in the face of death? According to Jesus we must first recognise who He is, then receive what only He can offer.
26-04-20 - Lucas Durant
'Make every effort... to Rest'. It is a paradoxical statement at the heart of the letter to the Hebrews. What sort of effort does God require, and how does it lead to rest? He asks that we allow His word to do His work on us - showing us that we are more sinful than we ever imagined, but more loved than we ever dreamed.
19-04-20 - Lucas Durant
Some people think that the Christianity requires a kind of blind faith. They couldn't be more wrong. The Bible is always and everywhere pointing to the evidence and demanding that we act in accordance with the evidence. On the first easter morning, the evidence tells us that belief in the resurrection is rational, that the resurrected Lord is good, and that the truth of the resurrection is life-changing. 12-04-20 - Lucas Durant
The cross of Christ is the crux of the Christian faith. In this service we reflect on a few of the many Old Testament events and figures which pointed toward the cross, and which help us to more fully grasp what was accomplished there - the "full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world".
10-04-20 - Lucas Durant
In the midst of unprecedented devastation God's people never lack hope. Whereas even in the midst of astounding prosperity, the nations have no hope. The Day of the Lord will be a day of both well-deserved condemnation and gracious salvation.
05-04-20 - Lucas Durant
If we cannot manipulate the Lord into doing our will (He cannot be controlled) or offer him something that he needs (He needs nothing from us), why does does the Lord relent from his judgment on his sinful people? He relents to bring glory to His own name, for His nature is always to have mercy, and He is abounding in steadfast love.
29-03-20 - Lucas Durant
Joel is clear that the unprecedented devastation that God's people were facing was from the hand of the Lord. If God is the one superintending calamity, that should give us hope. It means that suffering is not a product of random chaos or of demonic attack, but an instrument of discipline in the Father's hand. By it He prepares us for the final judgement and teaches us to repent.
22-03-20 - Lucas Durant
What might God be teaching us in times of unprecedented devastation and how should we respond? The prophet Joel challenges us to face up to the devastation, and lament before the Lord. If we weep, wail and cry out for God's help, we will benefit in the midst of trials.
15-03-20 - Lucas Durant
Why does the gospel of Jesus, which is supposed to be 'good news', create such division? Because it is a public truth that demands a reordering of relationships and a reordering of priorities. Most people will not receive it, but by it some will secure an eternal reward.
08-03-2020 - Lucas Durant
What should Christians expect as we go out preaching the message of repentance and faith? Jesus makes it very clear that we should expect harsh opposition. Yet Jesus sends his followers out with reassurances that let them face opposition with fearless confidence.
01-03-2020 - James Hall
The Gospel is a message of reconciliation. By his death, Jesus has made a sufficient sacrifice to reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God. But this reconciliation must be received to become effective in the lives of individuals. How can people receive it? God sends us out as his ambassadors to make His appeal through us.
23-02-20 - Lucas Durant
How does Jesus feel as he looks around at the great mass of humanity with all all our anxieties, suffering, and sin? He feels gut-wrenching compassion for us. His compassion motivates Him to send out his followers on mission to proclaim the good news.
16-02-2020 - Lucas Durant
In his public ministry, Jesus indisputably established his authority over disease, death and demons. Many had seen him do the miraculous with their own eyes, and they could speak to the people who had been healed. Yet people responded to the evidence about Jesus in different ways. Those who sought Jesus with desperation found one thing, those who approached him with defiance found another.
09-02-20 - Lucas Durant
Jesus had complete authority over diseases, demons and nature itself. In his earthly ministry, he proved that nothing was beyond his power. But what did he come to do? What was His mission on earth? In his own words, he 'came to call sinners' - and that is good news for us.
02-02-20 - Lucas Durant
Jesus invites everyone to follow Him, but he wants us to be absolutely clear from the outset - discipleship will be an uncomfortable adventure. Unlike the World, which promises us everything and delivers very little, Jesus promises that we will face difficulty - but in the midst of difficulty we will be blessed. This sermon was preached in an all-age service.
27-01-20 - Lucas Durant
From the beginning to the end of Jesus' earthly ministry, he spoke of the necessity of faith. But what kind of faith does Jesus require? Not a blind faith nor a vague faith, but a living faith.
19-01-20 - Lucas Durant
Is it possible to have rest in the midst of great troubles? Psalm 3 says it is. In one of the darkest episodes of his life, King David found assurance and peace as he reflected on great truths about the Lord's promises of great deliverance. As people of King Jesus, we too can benefit.
12-01-20 - Algie Ko
There is a king. How can this basic truth of the Christian faith fill some with unwavering bravery in the face of intense persecution, while driving others into a rage. Psalm 2 shows us that our futures depend on how we respond to the King.
05-01-20 - Lucas Durant
Are you happy? If not, why not? The first Psalm grabs our attention by describing two ways of life - the way of the righteous that leads to happiness and the way of the wicked that leads to perishing. And we are urged - through poetic imagery with theological clarity - to choose the path to happiness. The psalmist explains that our attitude to the word of God is decisive.
29-12-19 - Lucas Durant
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is given great honour in the scriptures. God's choice of Mary teaches us about Jesus' purpose in coming into the world. Mary's assent to God's plan, despite her confusion, teaches us something about faith.
22-12-19 - Lucas Durant
We will all face disappointments, upsets and sadnesses in life and they may cause us to doubt whether Jesus really is trustworthy. Doubt is a common struggle in the Christian life. It can be destructive, but it doesn't have to be. Doubt can move us forward in faith if we use it rightly.
15-12-19 - Lucas Durant
Is it possible to live a full and fulfilling life while remaining single? Traditional cultures say 'no' - they see marriage as a necessary step toward maturity, and consider those who remain unmarried to be defective. Modern cultures also say 'no' - they deny that fulfilment is possible apart from sex and romance. Christianity, however, speaks a revolutionary word to both traditional and modern cultures. Christianity says that singleness is a blessing from God provided that we receive it as such.
08-12-2019 - Alex McCoy
God has set marriage apart from all other earthly relationships to serve as a living illustration of the relationship between Christ and His bride - the Church. Marriage is therefore holy. Paul shows us how to preserve the holiness of marriage.
01-12-19 - Lucas Durant
The Christian theology of the body completely revolutionised the ancient world. Some people believe that Christian sexual ethics come out of the distant past, but that is wrong. Christian sexual ethics came from above - and they made our world far, far better.
24-11-2019 - Lucas Durant
To be Holy is to be 'set apart' in service of God. The Church is called holy, but the unrepentant sin of 'Christians' within a congregation undermines this purpose. Paul commands churches to take sin seriously, and shows us how holiness can be restored.
17-11-19 - Lucas Durant
Christians are motivated by God's grace to give generously. Yet even when we are motivated to give, we must still determine how to give. Paul's instruction to the Corinthians helps us to invest our resources wisely, trusting God to produce a harvest.
10-11-19 - Lucas Durant
According to the scriptures, the way we use our money can tell us a great deal about the condition of our hearts. A heart that has been changed by God's generous grace is revealed in generosity. This section of 2 Corinthians gives us a model for what a healthy heart looks like and a prescription for bringing our hearts to full health.
03-11-19 - Lucas Durant
Ninevah was a wicked city full of people who 'didn't know their right hand from their left'. Jonah was a prophet who didn't want to speak God's word to God's world. God, in His grace, loved them both.
27-10-19 - Darren Pollock
In a time and place when we are offered so much choice in our daily lives, we can often be paralysed with indecision. At the end of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concludes by offering us a refreshingly simple decision - the narrow way to life or the broad road to destruction - and commanding us all to choose. It should be an easy choice, yet 'many travel the broad road' and 'few find the narrow road'. Jesus wants us to choose wisely.
20-10-2019 - Lucas Durant
Non-Christians often believe that churches are full of judgmental hypocrites - and sadly they are sometimes right. But in Matthew 7 we see that Jesus hated judgemental hypocrisy and strongly denounced the way of thinking that lies behind it. Jesus calls us to use right judgment and to relate to God and one another rightly.
13-10-19 - Lucas Durant
People in our city spend their entire lives working for, striving after and achieving rewards that will quickly pass away. Jesus shows us a better way. While the world is consumed by anxious striving, those seeking his kingdom first are promised peace, rest and fatherly provision.
06-10-19 - Lucas Durant
Look around our city and you will see that you do not have to be a Christian to pray; every religious system has its own approach to prayer. But according to Jesus, Christian prayer should be different from all other kinds of prayer in both form and content. In the Lord's Prayer, we are given a radically God-centred and deeply dependent approach to prayer which flows out of an knowledge of who God really is - Our Father in Heaven.
29-09-19 - Lucas Durant
Religious hypocrisy is spiritual poison. While we might be able to convince others (and may even convince ourselves) that we are very generous, super-spiritual, and well-disciplined in our Christian life by putting on a good show in public, God sees our heart and knows what we are in private. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus shows us how to stay well clear of religious hypocrisy.
22-09-19 - Niels van de Kasteele
In Jesus' time, as in ours, there were many people peddling a counterfeit vision of moral virtue. All of us, however religious or irreligious we may be, can very easily exchange righteousness for self-righteousness. But the best way to expose a counterfeit is to compare it to the genuine article - which is precisely what Jesus does in this section of the Sermon on the Mount.
15-09-19 - Lucas Durant
In the Sermon on The Mount Jesus describes what human life and community is like when He reigns as king. In it he calls us to radically change our perspective by rejecting the values of the world, and embracing the values of His kingdom. It is a manifesto for revolution.
08-09-19 - Lucas Durant
In the Kingdom of God, the humble will be exalted and those who exalt themselves will be humbled. This is more dangerous than it might at first appear.
This message was preached at the licensing of Lucas as the Priest-in-Charge of Resurrection Church.
01-09-19 - Bishop Timothy Kwok
Hong Kong is going through a politically tumultuous period. There is no shortage of people in the media, in the government and on the international stage urging us to think and act in the ways that they advocate. Christians, however, are called first and foremost to listen to God's voice. Romans 13 gives us a framework for Christian political action, and provides guidance for how to live in a chaotic and confused time.
25-08-2019 - Lucas Durant
Every Christian will face obstacles and difficulties in seeking to follow Jesus - how can we make sure we persevere to the end and finish well? The final chapter of Gideon's story warns us not to lose sight of God's priorities as we pursue our own agendas, and not to neglect the god-given means of grace.
18-08-2019 - Lucas Durant
Is it possible for strength, competence and confidence to be liabilities? Judges 7 shows us that they are when they lead us to total self-reliance. In Gideon's story we see that God sometimes purposely weakens his people, so that they will recognise their dependence on His salvation. When we have no choice but to admit our weakness, that is when God's power will be most clearly displayed.
11-08-19 Avelino Mauricio
What kind of person does God ask to join in with his work? If we think that God would choose only the best, the brightest, the morally upright and the spiritually confident - Gideon's story proves otherwise. In Judges 6 we see that though God clearly perceives the sins of His people and calls them to repent, He uses faltering and fearful people to advance His saving purposes.
04-08-19 Lucas Durant
What happens when God is determined to achieve His purposes, but His people are unwilling to help? Will God's purposes be thwarted? Certainly not! Judges 4-5 shows us the great danger for God's people is missing out on being part of His great deliverance, and the great danger for His enemies is trusting in their own strength.
28-07-19 Lucas Durant
Where can we turn when our life is in chaos? The stories of the first two Judges, Othniel and Ehud, give us reason to believe that there is hope in even the most hopeless situations. Whatever our circumstances may suggest, the sovereign LORD reigns and He loves to save His people in surprising ways.
21-07-2019 Lucas Durant
Sin is a real problem. It causes us pain and shame, it corrupts our relationships with other people and it destroys our relationship with God. Yet even when we identify the problems that sin causes, it can still feel impossible to break out of sinful patterns. This section of Judges describes the downward spiral of sin that God's people became trapped within as they entered the land; but it also reveals a God of compassion that is not willing to simply abandon His people to the mess they have made.
14-07-19 Jason Yu
As the book of Judges opens, God's people are hopeful that they will soon take hold of all that God has promised to them, but by the end of chapter 1 things have gone terribly wrong. How did things go so bad so quickly? Here we are shown the danger of disobedience, and the necessity of perseverance, dependence and faith in living lives of true obedience.
07-07-19 Lucas Durant
Having made the point that the Message of the Cross is the means by which God grows the Church, Paul now turns his attention to Christian leaders. What should a Christian leader be? Furthermore, how should we expect a Christian leader to appear to the world? 1 Corinthians 4 points us back to the person of Jesus Christ, and challenges Christians to live their lives according to the pattern of His life.
30-06-19 Lucas Durant
God is at work in the world, and He invites us to join His project. In this passage, Paul warns us not to let a 'fleshly' squabbles distract us from seeing God's bigger project of growing His Church. And he charges us to join in the construction project, while being careful how we build.
23-06-19 Lucas Durant
The Message of the Cross is foolishness to the world, but is the power of God to those who are being saved. So what effect should we expect the message to have? This passage explains that by means of the message, God chooses weak and foolish people to shame the world and display His wisdom.
16-06-19 Lucas Durant