GRLC Lifewords Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Lifewords - The Audio of the Sermons preached at GRLC (Georges River Life Church) in Peakhurst, Sydney Australia. Subscribe and catch up on Sermons you like or ones you missed.
After a huge week at Kids Games on a journey to outer space, this Sunday Scott is presenting a special message on a journey to inner space. Coinciding with National Mental Health Week, he will explore the realities and complexities of all our inner worlds and offer some simple steps to rekindling fresh hope and purpose in your life, or someone you love.
At 10am Mark Pfeiffer will facilitate a fireside chat with some friends around the theme of Bearing Much Fruit and Not Being Greedy
Join us this Sunday 23rd September our 10am service where we will continue to focus on living a standout life as Scott Morrison speak s with a number of our married couples about what makes a stand out marriage
Join us this Sunday 16th September our 5pm Shift where we will continue to focus on living a standout life as Scott Morrison asks the question "Why Would You Believe In Jesus"
Join us this Sunday 9th September at 10am where we will continue to focus on living a standout life as Glenn Power explores what discipleship in the second half of life looks like.
Join us this Sunday 2nd September at 10am and 6pm as we focus on living a standout life as Malcolm Campbell explores what discipleship on the inside looks like.
Join us this Sunday 26 August at 10am and 6pm as we focus on Daniel Chapter 6 and discover more about what it means to live a Stand Out Life.
Bruce Stevenson will be preaching at 10am.
Join us this Sunday 12 August at 10am and 6pm as Ben Rusin will continue our series A Stand Out Life with a challenge from Daniel 3 - Discipleship in a World Going It's Own Way.
Join us this Sunday 5 August at 10am and 6pm as Scott Morrison will continue our new series with 8 Principles for a Stand Out Life. We will also celebrate Communion together.
Join us this Sunday 29 July as Scott Morrison will start our follow on series from Moving Out called A Stand Out Life. Over the next 5 weeks we will be looking at 5 key stories in the book of Daniel that teach us how we can live distinctively Jesus-centred lives that also sincerely embrace and advance the culture around us.
Join us this Sunday 22 July when Scott Morrison will share on Your Greatest Choice to wrap up our Moving Out series
Join us this Sunday 8 July as Scott Morrison continues with our Moving Out series with a focus on The Practicalities of Personal Witnessing and how to make the connection. Our services are at 10am and 6pm.
This Sunday 1 July join us at 10am and 6pm when Ben Rusin will encourage us around the theme of Becoming a Natural in the Supernatural from Acts 3:1-10
Scott Morrison will be preaching at both services on Communicating Christ Contextually.
Join us this Sunday 17 June as Scott Morrison will share with us from John 4:27-42 on the Power of Personal Testimony.
Join us this Sunday 10 June as award winning author Lisa Shanahan will be preaching from John 4:1-26 on Conversations That Transform. Our service times are 10am and 6pm.
John Robinson will be our guest this weekend, speaking at our Discipleship Conference on Saturday, and he will then bring a different and complimentary message at both Sunday services - 10am and 6pm. John is a leader in the area of spiritual formation and we are sure that he will bring fresh insight into living "A Life That Works".
Our Moving Out series continues this Sunday 27 May with Bruce Stevensonpreaching from Luke 10:1-24.
Our Moving Out series continues with Jasmine Philips preaching from Luke 9:1-11. Jesus wasted no time in moving his disciples out of the classroom. He sent them out with a specific mantle, message, method and mind-set. So how do we, as his commissioned ones, apply this today.
Our Moving Out series continues with Scott Morrison reflecting on Moving Out to the Poor. God is biased towards the poor and this week we will be challenged to not only partner with the poor through mission month giving but to understand the eternal significance of personal investment into people who are poor materially, socially and spiritually.
Scott Morrison continues with Week 2 of our new series Moving Out. In this message, Scott looks at the power and necessity of finding your life in Jesus, and moving out from that starting point.
During Term 2 we will focus on that third part of the discipleship triangle – moving OUT.
We’ll be talking about our collective mission as ‘sent ones,’ our message and motivation, God's heart for the poor, and how we become confident, natural communicators of the Gospel. This is foundational for any church wanting to move beyond themselves into the wider community and mission of God. The series will challenge and prepare us to move out beyond the safety of a private relationship with Jesus, to make Him known, and be disciples who make disciples.
In this first week in the Moving Out series, Scott Morrison will be returning to John 21 looking Jesus’ invitation to Peter to move out beyond his failure, insecurity and disappointment into his calling as a leader.
Scott Morrison teaching on three key principles that influence our financial lives, and the practical relationship between finance and following Jesus.
This week's message on 'The Heart in Generosity' shares the story of the widow who gave out of her poverty in Luke 21
This Sunday 8 April Scott Morrison will be teaching on the intimate connection between grace and generosity in life as seen through the eyes of an unlikely disciple in Luke 19
Yes No Maybe - James 5.12
James lived out a sold out life knowing that his brother was the son of God. No doubt as he looked around the early church, he saw people who had a belief but not one that translated into a sold out life. He wanted their actions to express their beliefs. He wanted their words of commitment to be honourable and reliable not a maybe. There are often too many loopholes in our commitment. James would want that our lives should be a yes to Jesus.
Exploring our Illusions - James 4:13 – 5:6
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
The book of James is like the New Testament's version of wisdom literature in which James lays out how we do life in the kingdom. Our problem is not the theory, or the theology, it's the execution, the follow-through. This week we look at 4 illusions that can stop us in our follow-through as effective disciples who wholeheartedly love, live and reveal Jesus. We must break through these illusions if we are to fully flourish.
Living Wisely in the Light of Christ’s Return - James 4.13 – 5.9
Sometimes our life seems like an endless cycle where we go through the same activities day after day. In this passage James says that when we live with the expectation of Christ’s return, we will live wisely. Rather than living as though this life is all there is, we will live with hope, we will not put our security in earthly things and we will fulfil our earthly purpose by resting in Christ.
Kingdom Wisdom - James 3: 13-18
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Life is a series of decisions for which we need wisdom, but ‘wisdom’ is not a word we use in everyday contexts very much any more. This week’s passage from James explores the difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. James addresses the members of the church, particularly those who think they are wise and challenges them to demonstrate by their actions that this is true. In verses 14-16 he talks about rivalry and factionalism which he not only calls unspiritual, but even demonic. And he’s talking to the church!!! James contrasts this earthly wisdom that is fuelled by ego to the wisdom from the kingdom. Kingdom wisdom is not ambitious, proud or self-seeking but is peace-loving and yields good fruit. He exhorts people to kingdom wisdom, which is an orientation of your thoughts from heaven to earth (not earth to heaven). It comes from a place of connection to Jesus and knowing the mind of Christ for our circumstances. Wisdom Is the flavour of heaven.
Favouritism - James 3.1-12
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Sometimes our words are spoken to help, comfort, console and encourage. At other times, often without thinking of the impact on others, our words can hurt, show little understanding or compassion, and destroy relationships. Our words have the power to turn things around or to consume and destroy.
In this passage, James want his readers to know the importance of what we speak. He illustrates the truth rather than stating the obvious. He makes 3 observations.
vs 3-5 The tongue is small but powerful like a bit controlling a large horse or a small rudder turning a huge ship
vs 6-8 The tongue is small but dangerous like a spark that creates a destroying fire. Just a few words can ruin a relationship for years through humiliation and thoughtlessness.
vs 9-12 The tongue is small but revealing and often a contradiction. Fresh or bitter water doesn't come from the same spring and neither does bad fruit grow on a good tree.
It is easy to feel guilty, ashamed and powerless because of the things we have said, but the good news is that Christ has given us grace and power to control what comes out of our mouths.
Favouritism James 2.1-13
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Favouritism is the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of others. For the church to favour some and discriminate against others is to disobey the teaching of Jesus and the early church.
In this passage, James gets right to the point with a stark command not to show favouritism vs 1. He gives an example of what was happening, of favouring a rich person in fine clothes over a poor person in old clothes by providing seating for one and not the other vs 2-4. In vs 5-7 he condemns their behavior which is in contrast to God’s heart for us. He concludes by reminding them, that we are to live by the royal law of love not by the laws that we have wrongly used to judge and discriminate against others. In James’ eyes, to show favouritism is no better than murder because … well you work it out!
Faith and Works - James 2.14-26
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Works are an important part of our salvation but our salvation is neither attained, retained nor sustained by our works. Our salvation is by grace through faith, and not by works, but we need to be clear how faith and works go together. What James wants us to understand is that if you say you have faith, but there is nothing produced from your faith, then it is a dead faith. Faith must flow into life transformation.
James provides 2 examples to illustrate his point that faith and works go together. Rahab saw and believed God was the force behind the Israelites. She not only believed but did something about it by hiding the spies. Abraham, aged 75, believed God’s promises that he would have an heir and descendants as innumerable as the stars and it was credited to him as righteousness. At age 100, he held his son Isaac, the promise, in his hands, having meditated on this promise for 25 years as he looked at the stars each night. 15 years later his faith was tested (40 years after the promise first given). He didn’t understand why God asked him to do this but he knew he could trust God to provide the lamb. His faith was demonstrated by his action of offering his son. In both examples, their belief prompted them into action knowing that they could rely on and depend upon the goodness and support of God.
Getting beyond belief: James 1 : 19-27
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
In this third week of our study of James, Scott reminded us that James is not about a works-based theology. James big idea is: Don’t just talk about it … show the love of God in your life. It's not an anti-grace message but a life lived out of the empowering messageof grace.
This letter emphasises our need to have an unambiguously earthed spirituality. James is concerned with how grace enables us to make the word of God tangible in our lives and how we demonstrate, through our actions, what our faith is all about. This is the kind of faith the world needs to see from believers if they are going to take our message of the love of Jesus seriously. Scott suggested that we often aspire to this kind of lived-out faith but there is often a massive disconnect between faith and practice, belief and action. He suggested three reasons this might be so: 1) we have a skewed understanding of our salvation, 2) we are consumers of information and 3) we lack focus. James reminds us that if we can study and read the word of God all our lives and then walk away and do nothing about it we really have missed the point. How do we get beyond belief?
What kind of disciple are you?
This week we begin a new series on the book of James. James was a very early letter, written around 45-47 AD by James, the brother of Jesus. James was an amazing character who was thought of in the early church as a holy and righteous man. It is likely that he took a Nazirite vow (like Samson) and he was also referred to as “James the Just”. During Jesus’ life on earth he didn't believe that Jesus was the son of God (I guess it's hard to believe that your older brother is the son of God), but something happened to radically turn James around. He saw the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor 15:7) and after this his life was radically altered, so that the followed Jesus as his Lord. He became the first bishop of the church of Jerusalem. Paul calls him a pillar of the church in Gal 2:9 and James is the one who approved Paul as being a servant of God after his conversion from Judaism. James was martyred in 62AD; he was stoned for saying that his older brother was the son of God. The book of James is about how Jesus’ teaching works out in the lives of Christians. It assumes you know the Gospel and instead asks what effect it is having in your life. The book of James could be boiled down into one simple question: What type of disciple are you?
Hunger for God
Andrei talked about the difference between desire and hunger. Desire is something we want, but hunger is something we pursue. Hunger focuses us on a cause. Our energy and actions become devoted to achieving the cause. What we hunger for is what we feed on. An unhealthy hunger can lead to an obsession or addiction. Even good things can end up becoming unhealthy addictions if they take our heart from God. King Saul enjoyed the power of his role more than his responsibility to his people and his obedience to God. His hunger for power led to jealousy and the desire to kill David. The apostle Paul had a deep desire for God’s Law but his unhealthy obsession drove him to want to destroy Christians because he saw them as a threat to his zealousness for the law. Our desire can lead to an encounter with God, but when our hunger is healthy, it leads to a transforming encounter with God. The rich young ruler when he came to Jesus had desire to be righteous but not hunger to follow Jesus instruction. Consequently, his life was not transformed by his encounter whereas Paul’s life was transformed when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Celebrating Singleness - 1 Corinthians 7.25-38
While our Churches can often be nuclear family oriented there is a large number of Church goers who are single for a variety of reasons. For some this is welcome, for others it a phase of life, for others there can be pain, grief, disappointment or disillusionment associated with past relationships that have ended for one reason or another. Two important thoughts are:
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The Bible supports singleness 1 Cor 7.25-38 and places high significance on the call of singleness. It shows that our identity, equality or completeness are not linked to marital or sexual status. Matt 19.10-12. Jesus was single but complete and those who are dedicated or deliberate singles are better placed to live a higher calling for the Kingdom of God.
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We need to be mindful how we speak and act towards those who are single. We should not pity, disparage or cast doubts over those who make this life choice or find themselves single. Rather there is great reason to encourage, esteem and build relationships with them to help them thrive in their singleness.
Spiritual Fatherhood - Matthew 28 :19-20, Deuteronomy 6:1-9
This week, in the light of Fathers’ Day, Scott talked to us about Spiritual Fatherhood. The Bible has a strong focus on personal commitment but ALWAYS links discipleship to community. In Matthew 28, Jesus doesn't say 'go and make converts', he says 'go and make disciples'. Discipleship is not JUST you and Jesus and what he is doing in you, it is also what he is doing THROUGH you to impact others and disciple them in kingdom living. Do we think so much about making converts that we forget about the discipleship bit?
In the context of making and growing disciples, spiritual parenting is critical. We need both biological and spiritual fathers and mothers who can greatly influence how we grow as disciples. We are to be a family through community. There are many simple ways to disciple others: welcoming people, inspiring and challenging them without judgement, providing healthy feedback, championing them, valuing them, cheering them on, speaking truth in love, being an example and role model, showing up, and praying for them.
Barriers to Intimacy - Mark 10 : 17-23
The Bible is full of people approaching God. Typically when they approach God, they go away happy or at least hopeful, but the ones that go away unhappy are often the ones that came with stuff - an ego, (e.g. the Pharisees) or in the case of the story from this week’s passage, a man who came with his life all together. From an external view the rich young ruler had a life that was perfect, however he leaves after his encounter with Jesus with an existential crisis. The rich young ruler seems to have all the externals of his life in order (power, influence and wealth). This could explain many of us today. We live in a generation where the externals have never been more important and where we can manage our own PR. But Jesus is interested in the internals not the externals, and the kingdom is incompatible with a heart that is self-sufficient, self-assured, prideful and self-made. What can his encounter teach us about our own relationship with Jesus?
Movement of the heart - 2 Samuel 6 : 12-22
This week’s sermon encouraged us to think about another aspect of our embodied response to Jesus. Our heart response to him is reflected in movement of many types. While dance is perhaps a very obvious example, we might also think of raising our hands, kneeling, bowing our heads and other physical movements we make in response to God. We were reminded that God is not interested in our performance but he is interested in our heart. In 2 Samuel 6 we read about King David’s passionate personal act of worship before the Ark of God, which technically could have been ‘illegal’ for someone other than a priest. His dancing is all about his expression of joy and worship at the return of the presence of God after the ark had been captured by the Philistines and absent from Israel for a generation. David unabashedly dances ‘half-naked’ in the streets and is unconcerned with his image, freely expressing his joy to God. This leads us to ask what stops us from freely expressing how we feel in the presence of God? Is it because we worry about awkwardness, about what people will think? Or because we think those that do worship in demonstrably physical ways look odd?
Amy suggested that there are 4 principles that can guide us in working through this topic: 1. Worship with all our might; 2. Ignore the critic; 3. Be vulnerable; 4. Reclaim movement.
Expressions of Intimacy: Worship and SongRead Psalm 98
Music and singing are gifts from God. Songs enable us to express our thanks to God and to find intimacy with Him. Songs lift our hearts, stir our emotions, stimulate our minds and evoke a physical response. Songs help lift our eyes from ourselves and our circumstances onto God.
Our songs have had a greater impact on our society than laws ever have. When John Newton escaped death in a storm on his slave trading ship he was inspired to write Amazing Grace. This song, still sung today, helped abolish slave trading and brought revival.
Songs bring God’s people together in community, providing an opportunity for teaching, celebration, thanksgiving, lament, remembrance and the prophetic. They also act as a major weapon in Kingdom warfare against Satan by proclaiming truth, hearing from God, shifting what is happening in the Heavenlies, and releasing power.
Each generation is inspired by new songs that speak to their generation, enabling them to rise up and be the people of God, worshipping Him wholeheartedly.
Where you stand determines your perspective
Psalm 73
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Psalm 73 is a Psalm of Asaph, who was an important man in the building of the tabernacle. He was a colleague of King David and fellow psalmist, a musician and composer, a Levite and a prophet, and an important man in the worship life of Israel. This Psalm reflects on a time when Asaph was losing his footing towards God and was wracked with doubts about the rewards of life and the nature of suffering. He raises two questions as to why the wicked prosper, and why the righteous suffer.
In this Psalm, we can see how Asaph’s wrong footing led to an inability to have a right perspective. Verses 4 and 5 indicate that he even thought that the wicked have no struggles, that their bodies are healthy and strong and that they are free from common human burdens! Because his feet were slipping, Asaph couldn't see the whole picture. He saw their lives as better than they really were. However, this psalm also offers us hope because it was written after Asaph had regained a proper posture towards God and can be a source of help for us in maintaining or regaining a proper perspective despite the challenges of life.
Where you stand determines your perspective
Psalm 73
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Psalm 73 is a Psalm of Asaph, who was an important man in the building of the tabernacle. He was a colleague of King David and fellow psalmist, a musician and composer, a Levite and a prophet, and an important man in the worship life of Israel. This Psalm reflects on a time when Asaph was losing his footing towards God and was wracked with doubts about the rewards of life and the nature of suffering. He raises two questions as to why the wicked prosper, and why the righteous suffer.
In this Psalm, we can see how Asaph’s wrong footing led to an inability to have a right perspective. Verses 4 and 5 indicate that he even thought that the wicked have no struggles, that their bodies are healthy and strong and that they are free from common human burdens! Because his feet were slipping, Asaph couldn't see the whole picture. He saw their lives as better than they really were. However, this psalm also offers us hope because it was written after Asaph had regained a proper posture towards God and can be a source of help for us in maintaining or regaining a proper perspective despite the challenges of life.
Psalm 138
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Intimacy of relationship with Jesus is vital for loving, living and revealing him wholeheartedly. In this Psalm, the writer has an intimate personal conversation with God. He is bold, wholehearted and deliberate. He chooses to praise and thank God for who He is – his character and expressions of love and goodness. Thanks and praise are things we need to do continually and in all circumstances and no matter what has happened to us. 1 Thess 5.16-18. It is not about thanking him because he has answered our prayers or our circumstances have “worked out” for us, but learning to thank him for who he is and what he is doing in us through our circumstances. As we choose to give thanks,regardless of our circumstances, we build awareness of God's faithfulness and unfailing love. This causes us to see our natural circumstances from a kingdom perspective and causing greater thanks to rise up in our heart.
Psalm 138
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus
Intimacy of relationship with Jesus is vital for loving, living and revealing him wholeheartedly. In this Psalm, the writer has an intimate personal conversation with God. He is bold, wholehearted and deliberate. He chooses to praise and thank God for who He is – his character and expressions of love and goodness. Thanks and praise are things we need to do continually and in all circumstances and no matter what has happened to us. 1 Thess 5.16-18. It is not about thanking him because he has answered our prayers or our circumstances have “worked out” for us, but learning to thank him for who he is and what he is doing in us through our circumstances. As we choose to give thanks,regardless of our circumstances, we build awareness of God's faithfulness and unfailing love. This causes us to see our natural circumstances from a kingdom perspective and causing greater thanks to rise up in our heart.
Read: John 4 :1-42
More space is given to this story about the woman at the well in the gospels than any other story, apart from the passion and crucifixion. This story reveals much about the nature of relationship between Jesus and people who encountered him. Significantly for us, this story of how Jesus chooses to reach out to the despised Samaritan group, exemplifies his desire for us to know him completely and to know that his love comes with no strings attached. (Romans 5:8).
Jesus is not under any illusions about our doubts, faults and mistakes, but in the midst of this he invites us to come into his family. Most likely, the woman was at the well in the heat of midday because of shame, the fear of judgement and unacceptance. The other women would have drawn water in the cool of the morning but she avoided them because of her history. Her shame was an impediment for her. But Jesus makes the point that her shame is not an obstacle for his love (v7-10).
How do our feelings and thoughts about our past hold us back from the full experience of Jesus’ love? What things in your life have acted as a barrier to experiencing Jesus love?
The woman at the well may have been seeking acceptance in her life through her relationships with men (v15-18). However Jesus tells her that's she's looking for her fulfilment in wrong and damaging ways because of her brokenness. It is he alone who can give her the fulfilment she desires.
In which ways and in which places do we seek acceptance apart from God? How is this pursuit of acceptance, apart from Jesus, damaging?
Jesus chose to travel through Samaria even though the Jews and Samaritans hated each other. This hatred went so deeply that Jews would travel around Samaria even though it doubled their travel time. Jesus’ interaction with this woman showed his unconditional love despite the fact that by all social mores he shouldn't have been speaking to her (she was a woman, a Samaritan, an adultress…). Jesus pushed aside traditions that separated and alienated groups of people to reach out for the one who needed to know his love.
Are there places you alter your travel route to avoid going through? What people do you avoid? Which groups are you closed to? (Gay, Muslim, homeless, atheists, different racial or cultural groups?) How does your attitude keep you from sharing God's love with these people?
Note: You can’t/won’t begin to love and accept others until you know the love and acceptance of God for you first.
Scott Morrison shares with us on Generous Love the third key ingredient of our mission at GRLC.
Scott Morrison shares with us on Contagious Hope, the second key ingredient of our mission at GRLC.
Pioneering Faith - A disciple making community growing along the GR and beyond, revealing the love and life of Jesus for today, impacting thousands of lives for eternity.
Over the next few weeks we are going to be looking at the three elements of deliberate discipleship – pioneering faith, generous love and contagious hope (see 1 Cor 13:13). This week, Bruce talked about how ‘Doubting Thomas’ is a great example of pioneering faith. At first, this might seem like a rather odd choice, however the life of Thomas can help us answer 3 questions about pioneering faith: What is it? Where do you get it? What do you do with it once you've got it?
Link to Study Here
Vision Launch - A Disciple making community growing along the GR and beyond, revealing the love and life of Jesus for today, impacting thousands of lives for eternity.
50% of our church has come in the past 5 years. Others may remember our preceding vision, where a church of a much smaller number sold our buildings, moved into a school, raised approximately $1M and then renovated our existing site for over a year believing that God had called us to grow a life transforming community church in the Georges River area. It was a unique, challenging, rewarding and faith building time. But now we anticipate an even greater future ahead. We are a diverse, growing, healthy, united, stable church. We have a responsibility and calling as one of the largest churches in our denomination to reproduce our DNA throughout our city.
Our mission.Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus.
Our vision.A disciple making community growing along the GR and beyond, revealing the love and life of Jesus for today, impacting thousands of lives for eternity.
Link to Study Here
Jonah Series - One Angry Prophet Jonah 4
Jonah our antihero didn't have a heart for the city or the harvest that God wanted him to be part of. Of the 2 groups of people that God is trying to redeem and restore (Ninevah and Jonah), Jonah is the hardest. While Jonah acknowledges God’s character and grace, he wants no part of it. He is an angry man, caught in his own bitterness and hurt. The anger in him that has simmered against these people has ironically been exposed and brought to light by God’s grace for these people. From avoidance of his call and passive aggressive reluctant obedience, he now displays classic signs of anger by separating himself, erupting verbally against God, becoming disproportionately irritated by little things and then wishing he was dead. Grace is the cause of Jonah's anger. Yet grace is the power to live above anger.
Video of 'Let Go' audio heard in podcast can be seen at the JourneBox website by clicking Here
Link to Study Here
Grace Fuelled Mission - Jonah 3 - PM Service Ben Rusin
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus.
Jonah was a prophet, a recognized servant of God. He knew God well, yet his actions failed to reflect his knowledge of God or the character of God. As we continue to look at Jonah’s life in this series, it is good to ask: “How well does our church Mission Statement (above) describe me? Is my claim to be a disciple of Jesus more talk than action? Do people see Jesus in me?”
Link to Study Here
Grace Fuelled Mission - Jonah 3 - AM Service Sophie Wheeler
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus.
Jonah was a prophet, a recognized servant of God. He knew God well, yet his actions failed to reflect his knowledge of God or the character of God. As we continue to look at Jonah’s life in this series, it is good to ask: “How well does our church Mission Statement (above) describe me? Is my claim to be a disciple of Jesus more talk than action? Do people see Jesus in me?”
Link to Study Here
Grace and Growth in the Storm - Jonah 2
Disciples wholeheartedly loving, living and revealing Jesus.
This week Scott shared with us some ‘lessons from the storm’. As no one is immune from storms in their life, it is important that we understand how to stand strong on the firm foundation of Jesus when they come. Sometimes we send the storms to our own life and we can’t blame anyone else for the situations that we are in. Sometimes someone else sends the storm, and we suffer because of others actions. Sometimes there is another source beyond human stupidity and brokenness, a spiritual battle. Sometimes it’s a combination of all three. And sometimes, God sends the storm to lower our comfort levels and divert us from our own agendas. God sent this storm to Jonah, and Jonah’s story can teach us much about dealing with storms in our life.
Link to Study Here
Running from our Mission
This week we start a new series on Jonah that ties into our overall theme of discipleship and mission. I would also like to encourage you to do something that is maybe a little different for your group. Get them to first read Jonah ch 1 slowly and then briefly share with each other what stands out to them. Then use that to springboard into the questions about our discipleship calling and what hinders us from our calling eg. fear, prejudices etc.
Link to Study Here
The beatitudes form a highly concentrated description of life in the kingdom, righteousness and consequently the DNA of a disciple. Jesus has made us righteous through the cross. As we walk in a righteous, Christ relationship with God, through the Spirit, we reveal the righteousness of Christ in the life we now live. In Matt 5.10 Jesus talked about being persecuted because of our righteousness which expresses itself through our righteous (not self-righteous) lifestyle.
The meaning of the word persecute is to pursue. Jesus is saying that pursuing the righteousness he offers leads to us being pursued oppositely by others to cause us harm. There are many places where persecution of Christians is very physical. In post-Christian Australia, Christian beliefs are no longer held as the majority world view and they are becoming increasingly, contested, scrutinised, criticised and even demonised as being incompatible with modern thinking. To this extent, the major persecution we face is one of moral, mental and emotional opposition, ridicule and contempt of our values, beliefs and identity.
How will we face this persecution and be a compelling voice to our world?
Link to Life Study Here
This week we are focussing on Matt 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God. We are called by God to be disciples whose lives reflect the Prince of Peace and the character of the Father. The word peace is often narrowly defined in our culture, but we need to understand it in the biblical sense of the Hebrew shalom, which views peace as not just the absence of conflict but almost as a force that radiates upward, outward and inward. Peace is
· spiritual (peace with God) – Romans 5: 1-2
· relational (peace with people) – John 20:21-23
· personal (emotional and metal freedom) – Phil 4:6-9
· material (contentment in life) – Phil 4:11-19
Being peacemakers is about first knowing the peace of God and then carrying the atmosphere of heaven through life. What does it look like to be a person filled with peace? What does it mean to be called to reflect the Prince of Peace to the world?
Link to Life Study Here
The relations of a disciple - Read Hosea 3: 1-5, 11:1-9
So far in our mini-series on the Beatitudes we have looked at the dependence of a disciple, the desires of a disciple and the repentance of a disciple. This week Scott talked to us about the relations of a disciple. Based on Matthew 5:7, Scott reminded us that a merciful life is the life of a disciple who is aligned with the heart and character of God.
Mercy flows from empathy and compassion. The word empathy comes from the Greek words em meaning‘to enter into’and pathos, meaning ‘suffering’. So empathy is to enter into another person's suffering and stand in their shoes. While we can sometimes form our beliefs from behind a veil of ignorance, Jesus understood our world because he was a part of it, not apart from it. The Greek word for compassion means ‘to be moved in one’s inner bowels’. When we stand in other people’s shoes, seek to understand them, and are moved by their situation then we are able to show them mercy. Mercy is the ‘instead word’; instead of judgement, violence, attack; it's showing kindness. Mercy is our story in Christ.
But what does mercy look like in practice?
In the book of Hosea we find a scandalous story in which God demonstrates what mercy looks like through the life of the prophet Hosea. In Hosea 1, Hosea is told by God to go and marry Gomer a promiscuous woman, and have children with her, so that Hosea can understand how God feels about Israel’s unfaithfulness. In chapter 3, after Gomer has gone off, Hosea is told by God to go and again show love to Gomer, even though she is an adulteress. This sad situation illustrates how God has called Israel into relationship with himself as his bride, and then Israel has prostituted themselves by worshipping other gods. Despite this, and the fact that Israel will suffer the consequences of their actions, God continues to demonstrate mercy towards Israel.
Link to Life Study Here
We are beings created with desire. Our deepest desire is to be loved by God. Our desires cause us to regularly engage in or be exposed to a lot of practices that shape who we are. The desires that we pursue will either enhance our relationship and worship of God, or take from it. We need to understand that God’s Kingdom has immense value, but in order to receive its great value, we need to have a consuming desire, and a willingness to sacrifice everything that robs us from engaging with and experiencing the Kingdom. People who understand the value of the Kingdom will sacrifice anything and everything to live in the Kingdom.
Read Matthew 13.44-46
Link to Life Stud Here
The desire of a disciple
We were created to have desires that shape our lives in a healthy way – desires to be loved, valued, to create, care for others, achieve etc. When our undealt-with brokenness, pain and insecurity take over, these desires can become skewed and distorted leading to unhealthy expectations, idols and addictions. Our desires become self-focused and fall out of line with God’s desires.
The Beatitudes represent both an invitation and a challenge to live as a disciple in the grace provided by Jesus. In these first 3 beatitudes we see a tension created in our desires.
For the world, success is being independent and well-resourced, but for the disciple it is being poor in Spirit, dependent on God and holding loosely to world riches.
For the world, status is having emotional strength and your life all together, but for the disciple it is finding comfort in God through mourning and holding loosely to status.
For the world, strength is being a well-connected, powerful, go getter, but for the disciple strength comes through gentleness and holding loosely to power.
Key Verses James 4.1; 1.14-15, Romans 7.18-20
Link to Study Here
Deliberate discipleship – Dependence on God
Like an iceberg, discipleship is not just the external stuff that people see but also the internal issues below the surface - who we see ourselves to be as our identity in Christ, how we deal with relationships in our life, the walls we encounter, or the baggage we carry. All of these things form the foundation of our lives, which if well built, allow us to develop healthy Christian disciplines. Healthy discipleship brings encounter with God leading to transformation. It is not just developed individually but needs the support of community.
Jesus showed this in his ministry to people and his development of his disciples. He taught them what it looked like to be his followers who actively participate in the kingdom of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples about kingdom living. This sermon is not about rules or a code of ethics but descriptors of what a disciple looks like. Likewise, the blessings are not part of a reward system but the naturally produced effects of lives lived this way.
Read Matthew 5.1-10
Link to Study Here
Faith, Life and Conflict
Each of us have a collection of things that we value or fear that differs from others. Conflict occurs when the things we value are significantly misaligned with the values of someone else and we value those things more than we value the other person. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given the choice of 2 trees: the Tree of Life to eat from, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil which they were told to avoid. By eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil we place ourselves in the position of God and make judgements about good and evil, dividing people according to our likes and dislikes. Those who we think are good we treat differently to those we think are bad.
There are 2 pathways we can choose from when conflict occurs.
The first path is grounded in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is law-based and selfishly pursues the need for conquest and our own personal comfort. When we have desires, we demand that our desire is fulfilled. We judge others by whether they have met our desire or not. If they haven’t we sacrifice relationship with them or others and/or endeavor to punish them.
The second pathway is grounded in the tree of life. It is based on love, and pursues Christlikeness and healthy community. When our needs or desires are unfulfilled, we describe our need or desire, we ask the other person whether they can help. We respond and act to their response in a way that maintains relationship and/or sets boundaries in a healthy way.
Key Veres: Genesis 2.16-17, Matthew 5:43-48, James 1.14-15
Link to Study Here
When faith hits the wall: John 6.60-70
We learnt last week that there is always more to discover and experience in the journey of discipleship, as we grow into mature followers of Christ. Many start this journey but then throw it in and live a life disconnected from the biblical foundations they once held to. In many cases, their journey starts out wonderful, with a sense of belonging and a hunger for knowledge, even discovering ways in which they can serve using their gifts. Then along comes the wall - a catalytic event or period of disillusionment where they are faced with the choice to journey inward, stand still or journey away. The wall is when our discipleship is on the line. The wall is the fork in the road where our will meets God’s will and we have to decide whether we are willing to surrender all over again and let God direct our lives or leave altogether.
Link to Lifegroup Study Here
Rediscovering your Vision for Discipleship
One of the dangers we inevitably face in our Christian journey is becoming comfortable with where we are currently. Unless we pour energy into something it will tend towards disorder and decay. Likewise, we need to continually put energy into our relationship with God.
Discipleship is not static, there is always more to discover and it can’t rest on the highlights of our youth or yester years. What matters is what sort of disciple we are today and what aspect of Jesus’ life is he currently forming in us. We are meant to always be growing towards maturity. If you think you have arrived and there is nothing more to learn, experience and step into, or that there are no new discoveries or ways to love or exhibit Jesus in your world - then you are already dying inside. The process of discipleship is maturity, growing into Christ. There will always be more to discover and experience.
Link to Lifegroup Study Here
Invited: Luke 5:1-11
People still take great care in crafting a wedding invitation because it’s a different kind of invitation, both sacred and worthy of effort, for with the invitation comes the privilege to witness a new life where 2 people become one flesh, forming a new identify, as one family, in one home, and sharing one direction that they will walk together. It is a sacred moment.
At the heart of Christianity lies a sacred invitation, to a life reshaped, a new identity, a new sense of home and new joint plans and purposes and values. We see this invitation right throughout the New Testament and very early in Jesus’ ministry we see this invitation to a man named Simon Peter.
Link to Study Here
Play the tape! - Nehemiah 9
This chapter marks the fulfilment of the vision. God's work was completed - the walls were restored and the people renewed. In chapter 1, where one man Nehemiah confessed the sins of the people, God has done a remarkable work resulting in the renewal of God’s people who now recognise and confess their sins. So on the 24th day of the month the people come together. They read the word, confess their sins and worship for half a day. They praise God for his creative work (vs 5,6), His provision of life, His covenant promises, His faithfulness, His mercy, His saving powers, His leading etc. They look back on their past and realise that despite their rebellion, God is the ultimate provider of forgiveness, graciousness, compassion, patience and love. Together they make a binding agreement sealed by the leaders, Levites and priests. In the agreement they commit themselves to obey God's commands.
Not unlike Drew Barrymore, as Lucy with amnesia in the movie “Fifty first dates”, needing a daily tape to remind her of who the man is she loves and who they are together, we too repeatedly forget who God is and who we are with God and when we do it is always a mess. God allows us to live in our mess until we come to our senses. In Nehemiah chapter 9, the people play the tape. We too, need to daily play the tape to remind us of our past, of who we are, who God is and what he has done.
Nehemiah 8 - Open The Word
With the wall finished, Nehemiah now sets about building a community of God’s people who worship God and celebrate His goodness. The people gathered in the square at the water gate after the completion of the wall and asked Ezra the scribe to read from the Book of the Law of Moses. Ezra had been waiting a long time for this moment –opening God’s Word in a restored city to a restored community. He read from dawn till noon. The people worshipped the Lord, standing and bowing (vs 1-6). The Levites explained the meaning so that the people could understand (vs 7-8). The people broke down and wept as they heard the word read but Nehemiah and Ezra exhorted them to celebrate and be joyful (vs 9-16). A profound change in their hearts occurred and revival broke out. They not only understood the word but they encountered the God of the Word and responded accordingly. As they did what the Law said, their joy was very great and they celebrated for 7 days (vs 17-18).
Transitioning well. Nehemiah 7: 1-3
We have come now to a pivot point in our study of the book of Nehemiah. Chapters 1-6 of Nehemiah are about Nehemiah building the wall. From chapter 7 on, we are moving from building a wall to now building a community. These few verses in chapter 7:1-3 are a transition point between these two sections of Nehemiah and they tell us about the restoration of the people of Judah. They are moving from labouring and building to inhabiting, from battle for victory to battle from victory.
Transition can be defined as the process or period from changing from one state or process to another. Life isn't static; we move through seasons, and so transition is important in all of our lives. There are many examples of transitions we may go though: coming to faith, changing churches, changing career, leaving school, changing roles within the workplace or ministry, new stages of life (adolescence), marriage, from marriage to singleness, having children, retirement, coming to the end of a tough season in relationships, from an old lifestyle to a new, grief.
While experiencing transition in life is certain, Bill Johnson has been quoted as saying "we go from glory to glory but it's hell in the hallway". This quote captures an important aspect of transition. It is critical, but it is often also hard, because transition can be connected with loss and pain, it can be long, and it's a place of tension and change and change isn't always easy.
Transitioning well is really important because how you transition determines in part how you are set up for the next thing in your life. What can we learn from Nehemiah about how to transition well?
Spending Your Time Well - Nehemiah 6
When Sanballat and Tobiah heard that the wall was almost rebuilt they turned their attention to intimidating Nehemiah. Four times they asked Nehemiah to meet them in a village 30 km away, planning to harm him (vs 1-4). Nehemiah refused to leave the work knowing it was a distraction. Then they sent an open letter falsely accusing him of plotting a revolt (vs 5-7). Nehemiah discerned their motives and prayed for strength (vs 8-9). He chose to give the problem back to God and continue with the work rather than be side tracked into defending his reputation against their libellous claims. On another occasion he was asked to hide in the temple by a hired man and then others tried to intimidate him (vs 10-19). But after only 52 days, the wall was completed and the enemies were afraid and lost self-confidence because they realised that this work had been done with the help of God (vs 15-16).
Fulfilling God's purposes will inevitably result in personal attacks from Satan that are aimed at wearing us out and causing discouragement. We must keep our focus on God and ensure that the work continues. We must allow God to defend us and our reputation. To do so, we need to know what God has called us to.
Who do you speak up for? - Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah is an inspiring book on leadership and people working together to achieve a wonderful vision of restoring God’s reputation through the rebuilding of his city. In chapter 3 all the people worked together to build the wall. Not just the skilled but the willing. People despite their limitations and the opposition they faced, persisted. Every person was important and had an important part to play. In chapter 4 there was external opposition but through prayer and persistence they thwarted their enemies.
Now in Chapter 5, a more insidious threat comes from within, resulting in internal division and disunity. The poorer people were being exploited by the nobles and placed under enormous financial pressures even though they were working on the wall (vs 1-5). There was a lack of equity and fairness, with some gaining from the misfortune of others, even though they weren’t pulling their weight. Nehemiah was angered but he spent some time thinking it through before he went to the offenders privately and explained clearly their sin (vs 6,7). He held a public meeting to right the wrong and got them to sign a legally binding public oath (vs 8-13). In the latter part of this chapter we read that Nehemiah was committed to a lifestyle that was above reproach. He did not use his position to his own advantage or to exploit others. This was clearly demonstrated to those he led by his personal efforts on the wall (vs 14-19).
Nehemiah, as a type of Jesus, demonstrates what it means to speak up for others, to be a voice for the vulnerable, to take action and be an advocate for justice and fairness.
Teamwork achieves Vision - Nehemiah 3
Walls were very important for the protection and security of the people. The rebuilding of the walls would allow the people the opportunity to worship God and carry out his purposes as a community in safety.
Nehemiah called the people not only to prayer but also to action. Chapter 3 describes the work done by 42 groups of people including Zadok ben Immer. Not only did Nehemiah successfully delegate the work but he participated in it and kept an encouraging watch on others. He was concerned for the task and for the needs of those involved. People were delegated specific work which they accepted. Everyone got involved and worked alongside each other. Each person recognised the need to work as a team, accept responsibility and submit themselves to the authority of others.
A wall is only good when it is complete. Each section of the wall is like a link in a chain. Any hole is a broken link and therefore a broken chain. For any vision to be achieved, it is critical that each person own their bit of the work and do it willingly, cheerfully and wholeheartedly.
How to persevere with your vision when things get tough - Nehemiah 4
When we have a vision for God’s work we can be sure that we will encounter opposition. Through faith in God, prayer and reliance upon His strength, we can find victory and the joy of participating alongside him.
Sanballat and Tobiah (governors of the surrounding provinces) began to ridicule the Jews (vs 1-3). However, Nehemiah turned his thoughts to God in prayer and asked God to cause their insults to fall back on themselves (vs 4-5). As a result of fighting the battle with prayer, the people worked with all their heart and completed half the work (vs 6). When Sanballat and Tobiah heard that the work was continuing, they plotted together to cause trouble. In addition, the workers began to focus on the amount of rubble that had accumulated, Nehemiah's enemies began to sow seeds of fear among the people and many of the Jews started to believe their threats (vs 10-12).
Nehemiah dealt with the threat of opposition and ensured that it did not hinder the work. He got the people to pray, he posted guards (vs 9), he reminded the people of the awesomeness of God (vs 14) and he urged them to fight (vs 13-16). The result was that the enemies lost heart (vs 15), allowing Nehemiah and the people to resume the work on the wall with precautionary measures in place (vs 16-23).
In the midst of opposition, God's glory and reputation should remain our motivation and prime objective. We need not be discouraged or intimidated. It is not God who mocks us even if what we do is foolish. Satan, however, exploits our weaknesses and sends people to discourage. We must remember the Lord who is great and awesome (4.14) and avoid engaging in controversy with critics. We must ensure that the work in front of us is done with all the strength available and without us being side tracked from fulfilling our vision.
Link to Study Here
How do you get a vision? Nehemiah 2: 1-20
We’ve been looking for some time now at different aspects of vision and what it can mean for our lives and the community around us. Scott has been encouraging us to pray about the 9 Vision Shaping Elements as we seek a vision from God about how we can share in His mission of reconciliation with a broken world. This week we will focus on the question of how we actually GET a vision
Link to Study Here
What’s Your Burden? Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah's brother returned from Jerusalem to see him – Nehemiah may have been among those who had gone with Ezra 12 years earlier to restore Jerusalem. Nehemiah eagerly enquired about Jerusalem and the people. The city of Jerusalem was meant to represent the strength and splendor of God and His people. However, the people had lost sight of who God was and His expectations of them. They had become complacent and lost their vision for restoring Jerusalem. With the walls left broken, God's reputation was tarnished and in disgrace.
When Nehemiah heard this he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed for several days. He implored God to hear, he confessed the sins of his people, he reminded God of His promises and covenants to His people. His prayer showed a deep burden and passion for God’s reputation, His city and people. Finally, after days of prayerful dialog with God, he presented just one request to God; a request which if answered would leave him in no doubt that God had truly given him the burden that lay on his heart.
Link to Study Here
Prelude to Pentecost: Luke 10.1-24
We continue our short series of looking at some of the aspects of following Jesus in his mission of making and growing disciples. This week we look at Jesus instructions when authorising his sent ones to herald the good news to the world around them and make disciples. We need to realise that we have been given the same call and that the power and authority that Jesus gave his disciples (Luke 9 and 10) was the same power that he made available to ALL believers through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). But what is that power for? Is it just for our personal benefit or is there a greater cause that Jesus calls us into?
No looking Back - Luke 9:57-62
For the last few weeks we have been talking about mission and vision. Beginning this week and for the next few weeks we are going to look at some of the aspects of following Jesus in his mission of making and growing disciples. This week we look at Jesus interactions with three specific people. While these were written in a specific context to a specific people, they are written to us as well. What can we learn from them about what it means to follow Jesus?
Link to LifeGroup Study Here
For the last few weeks we have been talking about mission, in particular about how our mission is essentially about making disciples. We are called by God not only to be a disciple ourselves, but to be part of the process of making new disciples. This week, we focus especially on how God is a father who is always calling people to grow - across all generations.
Scott shared with us in the sermon this week that in many organisations vision is often driven by a top down approach in which vision is driven but not directed by leadership. In these approaches it is more about seeing things 'my way'. But Scott and our leadership wants our vision to be directed from the top in a way, but developed by the community as a whole. We can all see and all hear from God because we all have the same Holy Spirit. So while the core leadership team may direct the processes we embark on as a community, it is all of our voices which will shape what is to happen in the future and which will add colour and definition to the thinking of the core leadership team.
How do we pursue a vision which will lead to growth across the generations?
Related Life Group Study Here
Vision Shaping Elements Handout
Planted in the house of the Lord - Ruth 1:8-18, 4:13-22
For the last few weeks we have been talking about seeking vision from the Lord for ourselves individually and corporately as a body. We have learnt so far that choosing to walk with the Lord and to operate from vision will mean several things:
• you will need to leave some things behind as you operate from God’s template for your life
• the vision will be bigger than you think
• it's not just about you and your life alone but the vison will be about more than just you
• it will require faith and obedience to walk out your vision
• vision that is God shaped will always flow out of God’s mission to restore broken humanity to relationship with himself and with each other
This week we focus on one more aspect of vision: that God’s purposes for our lives are best found in the context of covenant connections with others. What does it look like for our vision to be connected in with the body of Christ?
Related Life Group Study Here
Agents of God’s mission - Ephesians 1:3-10; Colossians 1: 15-23
For the last few weeks we have been talking about seeking vision from the Lord for ourselves individually and corporately as a body. We learnt last week that choosing to walk with the Lord and to operate from vision will mean several things:
• you will need to leave some things behind as you operate from God’s template for your life
• the vision will be bigger than you think
• it's not just about you and your life alone but the vison will be about more than just you
• it will require faith and obedience to walk out your vision
This week we focus on one more aspect of vision. Vision that is God shaped will always flow out of the mission of God. What is the distinction between 'mission' and ‘vision'? These words sound similar and can often be used interchangeably in corporate and business settings where ‘vision statements’ and ‘mission statements’ seem ubiquitous. Key to the distinction between them is the idea that the mission doesn’t change, but the vision does. Vision is for a particular time and place and mission transcends both.
Your vision, when it comes from God, will flow out of God’s unchanging mission. This is a mission that Jesus was on, and he expressed this clearly when he declared to his disciples in John 4:34 “My food…is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
What is that mission?
Related Life Group Study Here
The Call on your Life - Genesis 12.1-7
When God took the initiative and spoke to Abraham, he gave him a very specific and directed vision. He asked him to leave behind his country, his people and his family and go to Canaan. Abraham’s father Terah left Ur for the land of Canaan but he stopped in Haran and settled. Abraham had to make that step of faith to exchange his inheritance and his life template for a promise.
Abraham’s name meant exalted father but he had no children. It didn’t seem to fit. Abraham wanted to be blessed with a child, God wanted to bless Abraham and all the generations to come through a nation and ultimately a child called Jesus. As a result, Abraham lived his life inspired by Gods vision for him and for the blessing of future generations.
God speaks vision into our lives as we listen to his word and his voice. There will be things that we will need to leave behind. The vision that God wants to give you will be bigger than your life and bigger than you can handle on your own, it will be better than you could have imagined, it will have an impact on others, and it will require you to make a choice to step out in faith and obedience.
Link to related LifeGroup Study Here
Our need for Vision - Eph 2.10, Ex 25.1-9, Prov 29.18
The core of kingdom living is to enjoy the presence of God and to respond to his direction. Having a vision of what God wants us to do is important for knowing how to live out our salvation. As we seek God’s vision for us and future generations over these next 3 months, it’s important that we consider how our own life vision may in some way fit into the broader picture of our church vision.
We need vision because …
1. We are designed for good works Eph 2.10.
2. Vison brings clarity to our decision making Ex 25.1-9.
3. Personal and corporate vision help clarify each other.
4. Vison brings like-minded people together.
5. Vison carries/encourages you through the hard seasons.
Link to related LifeGroup Study Here
Living up to what we have attained - Philippians 3.15-16
What would you do if a friend gave you the keys to a rather expensive car and told you all you had to do was pick it up from the dealership? More than likely you would be extremely thankful. But if all you did was be thankful, read the reviews, download the owner’s the manual and join the club, but never picked up the car, you would be missing out on the benefits of the gift that the giver desired you to receive. God has given us a rich gift in our salvation, not just to admire and be thankful for, but to put into use. There is an inheritance attached to the gift of salvation. We are to freely use it. We are children of the King of Kings with unlimited resources at our disposal. As Paul urged his friends, we are to live up to what we have attained.
Link to related Life Group Study Here
The secret of being Content - Philippians 4.10-20
Paul, under house arrest, has a loss of freedom but not contentment. He is rejoicing in his circumstances and greatly encouraged by the generous and sacrificial gift brought to him by Epaphroditus. He doesn’t take their generosity for granted because blessings go both way in giving. But he does remind them that the greater joy comes from learning to be content in every situation no matter our circumstances. When we learn the secret of contentment our joy is multiplied.
As Wallace and Ben reminded us,
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Contentment is something we have to learn.
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Contentment is not dependent on our circumstances.
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Contentment is an ongoing learning process, not an event or destination. It is not once I have what I want.
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Contentment has 2 sides – it is possible both in want and plenty.
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The secret of contentment has got a name – Jesus. We need to depend on him and draw our contentment through our relationship with Him.
Full Lifegroup Study can be found here
Anxiety, Prayer and Deeper Faith - Philippians 4.1-9
The story so Far…
Chapter 1: Paul’s circumstances provided him with the opportunity to remember and pray for his friends, promote the gospel and praise God. He saw every situation as an opportunity to trust God and see God work in remarkable ways. It brought him great joy and fulfilment. Chapter 2: Paul encouraged the Philippians to have the mind and humility of Christ, and to shine like stars as they held out the gospel. Chapter 3: Paul encouraged them to rejoice in their confidence in Christ alone, rather than their achievements or self-efforts. He also reminded them that the Christian life is a race needing perseverance.
Chapter 4
As partners in the gospel we have a responsibility to help each other through times of disagreement, worry and hardship - those down times in life where we often lose perspective and our circumstances can grow larger than they really are. Anxiety is one of the great stealers of joy. We will all struggle with worry and anxiety at some point in our lives. Anxiety causes us to be pulled in different directions from hope to fear. It can strangle us and affect our mind, emotions, relationships, spiritual life and physical activity.
Paul was not immune to worry. Paul had great cause to worry because of his situation and also his deep affection for the churches he had birthed. In this passage, we see his concern for 2 women leaders who had the potential to cause woundedness in the church. No doubt this caused him to be reminded how easily it is to become anxious and take our focus off Jesus. We see how Paul handled anxiety and learnt to turn harmful situations into deeper relationship with Christ through right praying, right thinking and right living.
Full Lifegroup study can be found here
Just one thing - Philippians 3.10-14
Our heroes are usually people who have dedicated themselves to great life goals, be it adventure, sport, career or their natural talent. Their approach causes them to make this one thing the main driving passion and focus of their life to the extent that they are willing to make great sacrifices and even risk their life to do this one thing. Failures are seen as taking them one more step towards success.
For Paul the one thing that motivated him and spurred him on to greatness was the desire to know Christ, not just know about him, but to know him at a heart level, relationally, experientially, intimately.
Related Lifegroup study can be found here
Philippians 2.19-30, 3.1-9- The Gospel of Grace
In the latter part of chapter 2, Paul talks about Timothy and Epaphroditus who have served and co-worked for the gospel. These 2 men exemplify what Paul has been talking about, men who didn’t have lead roles in the church but who have followed the example of Christ in servanthood and humility and shone like stars for the gospel. They understood the message of grace and allowed it to outwork through what they did. They served FROM acceptance not FOR acceptance. Paul then moves to men of a different motivation who want to add works to the gospel, resulting in a perverted gospel. These men added works FOR acceptance. Paul shares how his confidence for salvation and living is totally in Christ alone, not because of anything he has done or can do.
Link to related Life Group Study here
Philippians 2.12-18 - Co-labouring in our Salvation
Paul's passion is evident in this letter to his friends. He is facing death and he wants to know that when his life comes to an end, he won't have laboured in vain for them. He urges them to stand firm, to strive together, to unite as a team, to press on, to serve one another so that together they can all win the prize. Paul wants to move them from conflicted to convicted, and from consumers to co-labourers. Christ is our example. Paul’s desire is that his friends continue to be who they have been called to be – shining lights in a dark world. To this end he asks that they outwork their salvation so that their light shines brightly through the darkness like stars.
Philippians 2.1-11 - United for the Gospel
Paul's passion was protecting the integrity of the true gospel and protecting the health and welfare of the local church. The welfare of the Church is expressed through its unity. For a church to be effective in its mission to spread the gospel, the gospel has to work here for it to work out there. Unity is not uniformity. Our differences give us beautiful flavor, our unity gives us powerful expression. Unity is not an absence of conflict but a commitment to love. When we strive for unity through Christ, the blessings of encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, compassion and joy flow. Being relationally committed and unified is one of the core values of our church.
Philippians 1.27-30 - Together as one
Paul was imprisoned, in limbo, and with a death sentence hanging over his head. However, Paul’s gospel eyes gave him hope, purpose and joy despite whatever happened. Sadly there are times when “whatever happens” causes Christians to falter, detour, compromise or drop out of life centred round the gospel. Paul, having spent so much time with the Roman guard, was familiar with their fighting tactics and encourages the Philippians to strive together for the gospel, in close formation, guarding and protecting one another, and facing the battle with the certainty that we are always victorious.
Paul wrote to thank the Philippians for their gift and to reassure them that God had a purpose in his imprisonment. Paul had blinkered eyes that saw everything in the light of the gospel! Physically Paul was in chains,emotionally he was being ridiculed and despised,and mentally, he faced an uncertain future (a possible death sentence). But rather than wallow in despair and discouragement at his imprisonment or become emotionally angry and bitter or mentally despondent and anxious,Paul chose to be excited, encouraged and focus on how God could use this for good. Paul chose to trust God knowing that whatever happened, whether life or death, God was in control and that he could never be the loser.
To Paul, the gospel is always good news, whether in life or facing death. The gospel not only gives us the ability to see good in our circumstances and rejoice but also the ability to stand firm regardless of our current life situation.
Follow this link for the related Life Group Study Notes
Philippians 1:12-20
Paul is writing to thank the Philippians for their gift and to reassure them that God has a purpose in his imprisonment. No matter what happens, Paul seems to have a special set of eyes that see everything in the light of the gospel. The gospel is always good news, no matter who or how it gets spread. The gospel gives us the ability to see good in every situation, to rejoice in every situation and to stand firm in every situation regardless of whether our situation is good or bad.
Paul had a right attitude, a right heart, and a right perspective. His attitude was so positive that he saw everything as having a purpose and serving the gospel. Because of these qualities he was prepared to live worthy of the gospel and share the gospel at every opportunity. He encourages us to do likewise.
Paul wrote this, probably his last letter, to the church of Philippi while sitting on death row in Rome. He had a strong history and connection with the church he had founded in Philippi and it had been a port of call on other missionary journeys.
As he wrote this letter he felt pangs of longing and joy as he remembered his dear friends and the roller coaster ride he experienced when he was first led to Philippi by a man in a vision (Acts 16). He remembered Lydia, the wealthy dealer in purple cloth, a God fearer, who he had met by the river praying and who had become one of the first to respond to the gospel; the clairvoyant slave girl, whose conversion had stirred up the town and resulted in Paul being imprisoned. And then the conversion of the jailer and his family following an earthquake rocking the prison at midnight.
What a mixed bag made up this church! Yet they were dear friends, partners and supporters of his work for the gospel, exuding joyful generosity like no other church (2 Cor 8.1-5) and progressing in their walk with the Lord.
Beginning in the Garden, and throughout the entire Bible, God establishes boundaries for his people. Why does God set boundaries? Because there is more to life than we know about, God protects us from evil and its consequences through the boundaries He provides. He does this for our benefit and freedom, not to suppress us but because He loves us. When we embrace the boundaries God gives us, we experience true freedom and release from having to work everything out and to fight for control over our lives and desires.
God also expects us to set healthy boundaries for ourselves and the people we have relationships with. Through our intimacy with Him and an understanding of His call on our lives, we can know when to say yes and when to say no. Honouring others means that we will also respect and protect their boundaries. In order to love others, there will be times where we need to impose boundaries on ourselves so that others can discover things for themselves about themselves.
Honouring others is to value them as God values them. Honour gives people permission to have a voice in our life – to give feedback. Feedback is a gift designed to grow and empower a person. Good feedback leads to healthier relationships. Feedback has one language - love, and one agenda - growth. Feedback works when our motives are right and when we have dealt with our fears from past experiences. It requires humility on our part and gentleness and respect for the other person. Feedback is motivated by the desire to help others grow or to win them back, rather than to merely give them our opinion or to win an argument. It requires the permission of the other person to give and our invitation to receive. Importantly it requires a healthy understanding of your identity in Christ. When you know your acceptance and belonging, the Holy Spirit can overcome your pride, empower your humility and provide wisdom and self-control.
Honouring others is to value them as God values them. It is a desire to encourage them in their walk with Christ. We honour others when we regularly, intentionally and appropriately desire to talk about things that are important to the growth of ourselves and others. Honour gives people permission to have a voice in our life – to give feedback. Whereas criticism is a judgement designed to punish or disempower a person, feedback is a gift designed to grow and empower a person. Good feedback leads to healthier relationships. Jesus constantly taught, gave commentary, rebuked or challenged people’s thinking within the context of relationship. Good feedback is one of the greatest gifts we can give to one another and as an important expression of honour. Feedback has one language - love, and one agenda - growth.
People are complex, your complexity is different to mine, when we share our complexity sometimes you get creativity but mostly you get something approximating chaos - relationships are complex. One key to navigating through complex relationships is Honour.
Honour is arecognition of substantial worth, preciousness or value that we attach to someone or something. It means that I value you and our relationship because I recognise your value and worth to God. Honour creates an atmosphere that helps chaotic, potentially destructive relationships to become creative, life giving relationships. It means that I value you to such an extent that even if we disagree or you mess up, you are still significant and valuable. I won’t dismiss you, I will stay positive, I will not give up on unity.
Where there is an absence of honor there is an abundance of offence. And where there is an abundance of offence, there is need for much forgiveness.
Re-ligion. Re-ligare. Ligare latin To bind or to join. The word ligature has the same origins. At its best, religion is the practice of bringing back together things which have come apart. This is what James had in mind when he said: “True and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” (Jas 1:27).
How does this view of religion differ from your previous (or present) view? How does it differ from the world’s view? What difference should it make to our thinking?
God has a high view of His church. But despite being God’s family, we aren’t immune from conflict, and we aren’t always good at getting strained relationships back on track. When the disciples were sent out without any resources to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal the sick, they went out with no recorded concern or dissent (Luke 9.1-6). But when Jesus told them to forgive those who sin against them, they replied “Lord, increase our faith”. It seems that one of the hardest things we are asked to do is work through hurt and forgive others.
Paul had a high view of the church and its people, because God has a high view of His church. In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he tells us that in Christ we are chosen to be holy and blameless, adopted into God’s family because of his love (1.4-6). Paul goes on to talk about the magnitude of the mystery of the church, how God has reconciled us out of our darkness and sin, made us alive in Christ and brought us together as one people in all of our diversity (2.14). The mystery of God's plan of salvation is that what has been accomplished through Christ is now entrusted to His church to reveal to others. He is the only word and we are his mouthpiece. This is what we get to do. This is what it means to love out loud.
Hezekiah was one of the great kings of Judah. By reestablishing worship into the lives of the people he helped bring them back into following God wholeheartedly. While God prospered him, it didn’t mean that he was spared from problems or the testing of his faith. When Sennacherib the Assyrian ruler threatened to invade, Hezekiah faced the challenge of his faith being tested. He made plans to defend Jerusalem through wise decisions and instilling encouragement into the people because of his trust in God’s greater power. Sennacherib tried to discourage the people but Hezekiah cried out to God to demonstrate His power.
The Jewish people reminded themselves of the faithfulness and goodness of God by celebrating the Passover and other feasts, and by passing on the story of God’s deliverance from generation to generation. Every testimony to the goodness of God is important. When we fail to testify to the power of God, the less likely we are to expect, do and consequently tell of the power of God. Testimony reminds us that God enables and is powerful and that he wants to do great things. Testimony is your ongoing story not just your point of salvation. Every day should present us with an opportunity to testify to the power and enabling of God in our lives.
Our worship of God leads us into intimacy with God. Intimacy enables us to encounter God personally and in that encounter we receive revelation of his goodness and generosity. This revelation should then lead to a change in us and cause generosity to overflow in our life. To start to experience the change and overflow that God wants to place in our lives, we need to start by obediently spending time with God and giving time to serving God and being with others.
Hezekiah and the people rediscovered worship which resulted in great Joy outworked in repentance, reformation and generosity. Generosity springs from different motives ...
- Through an obligation of guilt or sense of needing to pay back
- Manipulation so that in giving to God or others I will get something back in return
- A place of obedience wanting to respond in love to God's call on my life
- A place of overflow coming from a place of intimacy with God
Generosity is not necessarily the response of being rich with money but the natural response of being rich with the joy of the presence of God.Our God is extravagant in generosity and abundance. To know and connect with him deeply is to also demonstrate generosity. Intimacy of heart brings alignment with Gods purposes, a response of generosity, and results in joy from the presence of God in our lives. When a spirit of generosity exists there is an overflow and more than enough.
Following on from last Sunday's amazing services, Scott Morrison preached from 2 Chronicles 31 where we see that worship continues beyond revival as a culture of generosity throughout the life of God's people. In this we will see how worship brings an abundance to more than just the worshipper, but entire communities.
Hezekiah is arguably the greatest of the kings of the Southern Kingdom. He witnessed horrendous departure from the true God during the reign of his father. He saw a brother sacrificed to the pagan gods; the temple stripped of its holy objects and closed; and pagan shrines set up throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding country. Hezekiah’s first act on gaining the throne was to reopen the temple and begin to restore the worship of the true God of Israel.
Worship is meant to be an expression of love replying to the Fathers love, His love is meant move us into a natural response of worship. Of course worship is broadly defined as anything I offer to God in thanksgiving – being a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). But an important element of our worship is song. The Bible is full of singing - on earth and in heaven. God rejoices over His people with singing (Zeph 3:17) and they are to rejoice over Him in singing (pick a Psalm). But also worship – prayer and song is weapon of warfare. Prayer and worship remove the obstacle to victory so that faith can step in but faith still takes us into the battle.
Worship is God’s number 1 call on our lives, and the way we worship matters greatly to God. Our prime reason to worship God is because He is worthy. Our worship first and foremost is about giving, not getting, giving him our fullest expression of love, even when we are going through pain, tiredness, conflict, hardship, loss…. Our physical or emotional circumstances never change the nature of who God is, what he has done for us, and the inheritance we have in Him. He is always worthy of our praise and adoration.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be believers who believe something absolutely amazing and live it out. Unfortunately we live in a noisy world where our beliefs are being challenged and eroded. We find ourselves in a battlefield with the war waging against our minds working to imprison us and substitute false freedom for our true freedom in Christ. There are fortresses (mindsets) that set themselves up against true beliefs. Subtle and not so subtle attacks on our beliefs can leave us broken and diminished.
In the book of Acts, the early Christians are called believers 29 times. They were known for their belief. What they did and said distinguished them and enabled others to know what they believed. Believing is the key that gets us into the kingdom and enables us to live in the kingdom. John’s gospel talks about believing 80 times. As followers of Christ, we are called to be believers who believe something absolutely amazing and who live it. Our commission is to make believers because we believe in what we believe!
Andrei Mocanu shares on how we as God's community can help each other through times of crisis
Walking in intimacy with God is best done through community. But when conflict occurs in community it can divide and cause disharmony which in turn can destabilise and destroy the community. In the church at Philippi, two of its leaders, Euodia and Syntyche, were not seeing eye to eye. Paul implores them to be of the same mind in the Lord.
Being Sons and Daughters describes an essential posture of every believer. To humble ourselves and honour others attracts the empowering favour of God to our life and grows the quality of connection we have both with God and one another.
Scott shares the necessity of being a spiritual father and allowing ourselves to be fathered, challenging men and being relevant to our women who equally share the privilege of mothering.
Our involvement in organisations or groups is often conditional or contractual. It exists while we feel that they meet our needs. When they fail to meet our needs or our needs have changed we often tend to move on. God on the other hand is a covenant God who faithfully locks himself into a covenant with his people despite our failings. Covenant relationship produces a very different outcome to contract. God calls us to be his covenant people. Loving God intimately cannot be separated from the way we engage with others. In appreciation for his covenant relationship to us, he asks us to extend his love and covenant to each other. The covenant is expressed through words, actions and servanthood that flows from our heart. Church is not about the menu. Community happens face to face and shoulder to shoulder. When we live in a covenant community we forgive the failings of others, we believe the best in others, we become providers and sustainers rather than consumers and drainers.
Special guest Pete Davies shares on Leading from the Highest Level from Philippians 3:1-9.
On Sunday Scott interviewed Brad about his journey of hope following the loss of Lorelle almost 4 months ago. Connecting with our series on intimacy with God, it reminded us of God’s goodness and sustaining power in the midst of grief, loss and disappointment. It also reminded us of the importance of being community, rejoicing when others rejoice, and mourning when others mourn.
When sin entered our world, something went terribly wrong and control became a tool for our fear and inadequacy. Control is wanting to do things our way and please ourselves. It is authority gone wrong. Our need to control reveals a lot about our core beliefs, fears and motivators. We try to control our circumstances and others. A spirit of control will never trust and submit to the Father and therefore robs us of intimacy with Him. A spirit of self-control comes through intimacy releasing us from enslaving mindsets and wounds into freedom, faith and empowerment.
Just like Paul, the heart of our pastors and leaders is for each one of us to grow and reach maturity - to be presented fully mature in Christ. But it is a costly journey requiring surrender and sacrifice of our will and lives to Christ. Our circumstances don't always allow us to know comfort but they will always enable us to know the God of comfort. God gives us good gifts and blessing but to walk in intimacy with Him requires us to step out of our comfort zone. Comfort causes us to rely on ourselves and limit God and his presence in our life. Inconvenience and discomfort promote intimacy by drawing us closer to him. We were made for so much more.
When we try to avoid discomfort or inconvenience; when we quarantine ourselves in the comfort zone, we block out intimacy with God and shrink our life. With the help of the Holy Spirit we will be more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Creativity leads to a colourful life rather than a black and white life. Genesis 1-2 show us that God is the master of creativity. He spoke things into life. He created us in his image (Gen 1.27) and so we too are creative. His creation and his creativity express his glory and his greatness. Through our expressions of creativity we also reflect and glorify our creator. Through creativity we worship God, we feel God’s presence in our life, we hear him speak into our life. When we dream with God we co-create masterpieces of his imagination. These lead us into greater experiences of hope, faith and intimacy with God.
Discipleship requires change as we learn to find intimacy. Change is often uncomfortable. The apostle Peter left his life of comfort and all he knew to follow Jesus. He recognised in Christ someone great. He was the disciple who gave the great confession of faith – “You are the Son of God”. But often Peter acted impetuously rather than out of identity and intimacy. His was a progressive journey learning to trust and live out of intimacy.
What we do with God’s call to intimacy is the most critical decision we make. It is a whole way of living, not just a one off choice.
Seeing Loss Through the Lens of Hope. As a family we are wrestling with our sense of loss and disappointment. But it is in these times that the Lord is asking us to offer Him both our pain and our praise. We do both, and reflect on the power of hope.
Essential for intimacy with God is 2 way communication. Our speaking to God and Him speaking to us – which requires us to listen to what He is saying. The Spirit of God has been given to speak truth into our lives and reveal the hidden truths contained in God's word.
God’s word is foundational to our life and intimacy with Him. We should love the Bible because it is God’s self-revelation to us. We are blessed to be able to read it without persecution. The Word of God is where Jesus turned in times of struggle, refuting Satan and anchoring his life in His Father’s will. In the video clip of people facing the back wall of the lift, we saw that most people will blindly follow the leading of others. Following God’s word points us in the direction of God’s truth and prevents us turning and pointing in the direction of the world.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 - Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
This morning's sermon looks at the 5 keys for 2015 - 1) Intimacy 2) Authenticity 3) Community 4) Newness 5) Testimony
This morning's sermon looks at the commonalities between Abigail (1 Samuel 25) & the Anonymous Woman (Luke 7:36) who washed Jesus' feet: Scott Morrison
Read 1 Sam 25 and Luke 7.36-50
There were a number of stark differences between these women. Abigail had a name meaning loved by the father, she was beautiful, intelligent, influential, admired by the community. The other woman has no recorded name, was an outcast in the community, no authority, and had a shameful reputation.
Yet there were many similarities
- Common revelation of the presence of a king
- Common response – both brought a great sacrificial, offering
- Common redemption – set free from the tyranny of their life situation
- Common reception – Abigail became the wife of a king, the woman saved as a member of the royal family and the bride of Christ
God has a wonderful way of illustrating the New Testatment and new birth through the Old. How were you impacted as you listened to the differences and similarities of these women?
Look at Simon’s response. What does Jesus’ reply reveal about Simon and human nature?
Who do you relate most to? Abigail, the woman, Simon, any one else?
What is your response to Jesus? How have you been impacted by your encounter with him? (Both in terms of revelation and redemption)
How has your life been elevated as a member of the royal family?
What might our lives look like now if we stopped living like this is all of it? This week we face up to one of our greatest fears in life — death, and we will step back to view it from an eternal vantage point. Together we will see how living from eternity releases us into a fearless life today and a rich hope for tomorrow
Miracle Sunday, a day of people testifying to the miraculous work of God in their lives.
What if Jesus' "miraculous" life is supposed to be the normal Christian life? And how do we release more of the power, presence and provision of God into our lives?
Holiness is not about some ethical quality that we have to meet. Holiness is primarily about being set apart for divine purpose.
Glorious Holiness is the next part in our series ‘The Story of Light’.
Matt Gray takes on the topic of Glorious Prayer in a sermon that is full of passion, revelation and conviction.
The heart response to the glory of God is worship but worship is so much more than a Sunday song, it’s a life of radical obedience. John 4.23-24, Amos 5.23-24, 1 John 3.18
Abiding is essential to fruitfulness but what is abiding and how do we maintain a lifestyle of abiding and staying hungry for God? John 15, Ps 1, Ps 42
What is intimacy with God and what are the key barriers to enjoying that intimacy? Col 3.5-6, John 15.14
God pursues us relentlessly and we’re invited to enjoy his presence and friendship. His manifest presence is all that distinguishes us in the world and we have to choose to draw near to God. Ex 33:15-16, Jas 4
What does it mean to fear God and why is a healthy fear of God essential to living in his light? Ps 89.7, Jas 4.8-9, Is 29.13, Phil 2.12-13, Is 6, Rev 4
Often our picture of God is dominated by the image of the loving father. Yet God is also utterly above and beyond, overwhelming in his power and glory. What is the glory of God? What does it mean to live in the light of His glory?
Matt Gray speaks about the Younger Son in a sermon named ‘Identity, Power and the Younger Son’, in our new Prodigal Sons sermon series looking at Luke 15:11-32.
Steve Frost preaches from Acts 11 in a sermon named ‘Repentance That Leads to Life’, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Sarah Hiddlestone speaks about the Father in a sermon named ‘Heart of the Father’, in our new Prodigal Sons sermon series looking at Luke 15:11-32.
Scott Morrison preaches from Acts 9 in a sermon named ‘The Undesirable’, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Bruce Stevenson preaches from Acts 10 in a sermon named ‘The Unthinkable’, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Matt Gray explores James 5:13-21, in a sermon named ‘Prayers That Move Pianos’, in a sermon series looking at the Book of James.
Scott Morrison preaches from Acts 8:26-40 in a sermon named ‘Where’s My Chariot’, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Scott Morrison preaches from Acts 6:8 to the end of Acts 7 in a sermon named ‘Living a Powerful Life’, in a sermon series on the Book of Acts.
Bruce Stevenson preaches from Acts 6:1-7, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Dr Sara Baker (MBChB, DCH, DRANZCOG, FRACGP) is a GP in the local area with post graduate qualifications in child health, obstetrics and gynaecology. As part of her general practice training, Sara did extra training in mental health and regularly sees patients with mental illness. Sara has also completed a diploma of leadership through Hillsong International Leadership College which included studies in counseling.
Susan Tanner is a consultant psychologist and has specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders and depression for over twenty-five years. She has created numerous treatment programmes for both inpatient and community settings as well as working as a consultant to many private hospitals, corporations, businesses and government agencies. She has conducted research, been a clinical educator in the School of Psychiatry UNSW. She currently works in private practice in Sydney.
Join us for another exciting Sunday with our special guest conference speaker Andy Mason preaching in the morning.
Sophie Wheeler explores ‘Genuine Wisdom’ in James 3:13–14, in a sermon series looking at the Book of James.
Ben Rusin explores 'The Power of Words' in James 3:1-12, in a sermon series looking at the Book of James.
Health warning: This sermon may be deeply disturbing… in a good way.
Scott shares a deeply challenging message about the nature of discipleship and the heart of our worship, using the story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5:1–12 as a lens to examine how Something is NOT better than Nothing.
This is part of a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Peter Abrahams explores James 2:14–26 in a sermon named ‘Faith that is alive, and is not dead’, in a sermon series looking at the Book of James.
Scott explores James 2:1–13 in a sermon named ‘No Favourites’, in a sermon series looking at the Book of James.
Andrei explores James 1:19–27 in a sermon named 'Walking the Walk', in a sermon series looking at the Book of James.
Matt Gray kicks off The Deep End series at night on the Book of James, looking at James 1:1–18.
Peter Barnett revisits Acts 2:42-47 to offer his perspective, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Sophie Wheeler explores how a community can co-operate with the Spirit, from Acts 2:44-45, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Terry discusses what we must do using Acts 2:14-41, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Ben Rusin discusses A community of power wrapped up in love in Acts 2:42-43, in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Scott further explores the Pentecost in Acts 2:5-13 in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Scott explores what it means to navigate life in the Spirit in Acts 2:1-4 in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Scott shares his sermon of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 in a sermon series exploring the Book of Acts.
Scott shares his sermon, The End?, from Matthew 9 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Matt Gray shares his sermon, New Wine, from Matthew 9 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Bruce shares his sermon, The Talents, from Matthew 24 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Scott shares his sermon, The Sower, from Matthew 23 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Steve Frost shares his sermon, The Wedding Banquet, from Matthew 22 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Andrei shares his sermon, Ten Virgins, from Matthew 25 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Scott shares his sermon, Fruitful Leadership, from Matt 21 in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Terry shares his sermon, The Vineyard Workers, in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Bruce shares his sermon, The Unforgiving Servant, in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Bruce shares his sermon, The Parable of the Hidden Treasure, in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Bruce shares his sermon, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, in a sermon series about Jesus' Parables.
Terry brings us a kingdom message from the life of Mephibosheth, in the final sermon about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters.
Tony Stoltzfus from Bethel Church shares in ways to transform the heart, and keys to change.
Scott brings us a kingdom message about getting older, and how the best is still ahead.
Andrei Mocanu brings us a kingdom message from the life of Micah, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott brings us a kingdom message from the life of Jonah, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Pete Barnett brings us a kingdom message from the life of Hosea, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott speaks about Daniel - Life in your Babylon, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott speaks about Jeremiah, even when no one is listening, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott speaks about Nehemiah, living beyond belief, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
The story of Solomon, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott speaks about David, warrior and worshipper, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Linda Heald and a team of our women provide drama and a message on Naomi and Ruth, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott speaks about Joseph, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott speaks about Joshua and Caleb, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Peter Barnett speaks about Abraham and the birth of a new Kingdom, in a new series about seeing the Kingdom expressed through Old Testament Characters
Scott Morrison talks further about being Kingdom Centred as part of the sermon series Family Values
Scott Morrison talks about being Kingdom Centred as part of the sermon series Family Values
Craig Shannon and Peter Barnett speak on being Relationally Committed through community as part of the sermon series Family Values
Bruce Stevenson talks about being Grounded in the truth as part of the sermon series Family Values
Testimonies from the people who got baptised on the 27th of March 2011 at Georges River Community Baptist Church
Scott Morrison Looks at The Prosperity Of Generosity in Week 11 of the Series A New Kind Of Me
Testimonies of the people getting Baptised at Georges River Community Baptist Church on April 25th 2010. Summed Up By Scott Morrison
Bruce Stevenson looks at the topic of How To Get What You Have Already Got in week 9 of the series A New Kind Of me
Craig Shannon looks at the topic of The Battle Between our Ears in Week 8 of the series A New Kind Of Me
Scott Morrison looks at the topic of Spending Your Life in Week 7 of the Series A New Kind Of Me
Peter Barnett looks at the subject of Redeeming My Time in week6 of the series A New Kind Of Me
Living the Life you get to live.......Who wouldnt want that. Scott Morrison speaks on how to do it.
Scott Morrison takes a look at Romans Chapter 12 verses 3 and 4 as part of the sermon series on Romans
The Romans Series - Scott Morrison talks about life in a Romans 8 Reality. based on Romans 8:14-17
The Romans Series - Scott Morrison presents a sermon on living in the empowering presence of the Spirit, based on Romans 8:9-13
The Romans Series - Scott Morrison presents Romans 8:5-8 on how to live in the mindset of the Spirit
The Romans Sermon series continues with Rod Wolf talking about Romans Chapter 6, Freedom From Sin