CRC Coolamon Church: Recent Episodes
CRC Coolamon Church
Pastor Selim, visiting from Serbia shares an update about their completed building, and an encouraging message about God's good plans for us, from Jeremiah 29:11.https://www.facebook.com/crkvapodsatorom.leskovac
What is the process through which God forms, shapes and changes our life? Do we play a part in this - or is it all God? Today's final in this series looks at a simple model to help us understand this process, and the role that our spiritual practices play in our spiritual formation. Further resources:Spiritual Formation Trianglehttps://www.crccoolamon.org/post/spiritual-formation-triangleCelebration of Discipline, by Richard Fosterhttps://koorong.com/product/celebration-of-discipline-the-path-to-spiritual-growth_9780340979266Practicing the Way, John Mark Comerhttps://www.practicingtheway.org/This series is based on the Renovare video course "From the Inside Out". Access their free resources here: renovare.org/courses/io
We will become like the god we worship - what is your picture of God? There are three aspects of who God is that will help us in our spiritual formation.This series is based on the Renovare video course "From the Inside Out". Access their free resources here: renovare.org/courses/io
You are shaped by who or what you spend time with. Who or what do you trust to form you?
This series is based on the Renovare video course "From the Inside Out". Access their free resources here: https://renovare.org/courses/io
What happens when people strive for what they think is “the Kingdom of God” but forget the righteousness part? Increasingly we find that our culture doesn't value Christianity, Churches are decreasing, people are not coming to faith - could it be, as Jesus says, that we have lost our saltiness, and are being thrown out and trampled underfoot? What does Jesus mean when he tells us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness”? Matthew 5 to 7 gives us a practical insight into true righteousness.
Do you ever feel like you are living the meme "I can't adult today"? What does Jesus say to us about how to live in this world and deal with all the competing priorities and problems of life? Matthew 6:25-34 cuts through the noise of modern life and shows us how to live a life that is strong, confident, capable and different. Good different!
David and Jonathan - the covenant that releases immeasurable grace into Mephibosheth's life (1 and 2 Samuel).
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart...." Hebrews 4:12
God's call, command and promises go together and are essential for living a full and abundant life. But sometimes the call gets difficult, and we can be tempted to stray from it, like Abraham did in Genesis 12. Knowing God's word, and the commands and promises contained in it will be essential for us in living out God's plans for our lives.
Jesus is quite clear: if we want to follow him, we are to “deny ourselves”, take up our cross, and follow him. It goes without saying that to do this will take some radical shifts in the way you think and manage your life. You will need new habits and new priorities. But what does it actually look like to deny ourselves? And what habits will help us do this? Matthew 16:21-28 and Matthew 10:16-42 Access further resources for this teaching via https://www.crccoolamon.org/programs
The story of Jesus walking on water - and Peter asking to join him, is a strange story. What is really going on here and how does it speak to us today? Quite simply, Jesus is making disciples - followers who have a rock solid faith in their calling to be disciples.
A revelation about grace and an understanding of eternity will result in the fruit of faithfulness and love (from Col 1:1-14)
We are tired, burdened, restless. But Jesus offers us a different way to live. His way leads to a revived and satisfied life. It is not like the usual human or religious way, his way is humble, gentle and will lead us to the soul-rest we crave. Come, take his authority upon you, discover new habits for your daily life and take hold of a rock-solid satisfied life. [PowerPoint Version at https://youtu.be/XJ1cruSD7Ko]
Rest - that wonderful thing we all crave but don't make time for. Ultimately though, rest is found in a person, not a place or thing. Rest is found in Jesus. "Come to me", Jesus says, "I will give you rest." Jesus is the only cure for our restlessness.Matthew 11:28-29.
Raj shares with us some of his personal experiences and the importance of living in God's presence (Hebrews 10:19-25).
As we celebrate Communion together, Robyn shares some of her life story and encourages us to trust our heavenly Father - our Dad.
God wants to give us a life in heaven - and a life here too. Is Jesus at the centre of your life?
The request of the Canaanite women - an outsider and undeserving, is granted, because of her faith in Jesus.
Joy. Acceptance. Peace. It’s all on offer at Christmas – but only when we have Presence, spelled with a C. What do you want this Christmas?
We hurt ourselves when we resist God’s plan for our lives because God has designed his world and us to flourish when we follow him. Will we allow him to interrupt us and give us a new calling and purpose, so we can live the full and fruitful life he has promised?
In your busy life, when was the last time you read the word of God? God's word is powerful - but do we take hold of it in our lives?
Whose plan is it anyway? Acts 24 and John 21:15-23 remind us that it's God's plan and as we follow Jesus we can trust that he is equipping us for the mission he has uniquely called each of us to.
Being a spirit led believer won’t necessarily mean easy outcomes. God planned for his word to go “to the ends of the earth” and Paul’s missionary journeys in the final chapters of Acts are part of this plan. In chapters 19 to 23 we see Paul being led by the Spirit through some difficult and dangerous situations as he journeys to Jerusalem, requiring determination to stay true to his calling while under threat and hardship. What does your journey to Jerusalem look like?
Idols rule our life when we trust in people, possessions or positions to give us power, control, approval or comfort. Idols are false gods of supernatural or human origin and when idols rule our life, Jesus doesn't. So how do we know if idols rule our life and what can we do about them? In today's passage, the Apostle Paul shows us what it looks like to live a life free from idols.
Is supernatural evil just something found in movies and superstitious cultures of times past? Is this something that we should think about in relation to our daily life? What is God's response to supernatural evil and what has been your experience of it - what are we to do with it?Humanity is in slavery - it is a prison that we can't taste, smell or touch, but it is real. However, the good news is that there is power in the name of Jesus to free us from that bondage.Resource: How to Discern the Voice of Evilhttps://www.crccoolamon.org/post/how-to-discern-the-voice-of-evil
In the final parts of Acts we see Paul engaging with culture in a way that brings the message of the gospel "to the ends of the earth". But how are Christians today to engage with culture in an effective way? Do we get aggressive and fight it? Or accommodate culture and try and blend in? Perhaps we isolate ourselves from the culture? Are any of these common responses to culture effective and what can we learn from Paul in chapter 17?
God is not partial to one person over another, he doesn’t have favourites, because in Jesus we are all invited into God's family. It's all about grace. But what exactly is grace? What does grace mean for us in our life today?
Sometimes we have this idea that certain people aren’t interested in God. Or are too hard-hearted. That some people would NEVER come to faith in Jesus. This isn’t true, and Acts 8-9 tells stories of three unlikely, unexpected conversions.
Acts 8 presents us with an opportunity and challenge: to be scattered and sown as seeds of the word of God, knowing that what the enemy means for evil, God uses for good. Will we keep faithfully sowing ourselves - and God's word - into this world, in the midst of unexpected seasons of trouble or conflict?
We live in a society obsessed with pleasure and human bodies that crave pleasure - so what are we to do with suffering? Our passage today shows how suffering can be a blessing when we experience the filling of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with Jesus in the midst of that suffering.
How can we live as a believer in a way that is neither tiresome nor irrelevant? Neither hostile nor harmless? Stephen, in Acts 6-7 is a great example of a believer who is a winsome radical, he lives with grace, power and wisdom in a culture hostile to the gospel message. How might we also live as winsome radicals in a culture that is increasingly hostile to the Christian faith?
What does it look like when the church is one with another? Unity is a key part of the church in Acts - and the church today.
How can a church be structured so that it is able to effectively care for each other, meet needs, minister the word and see new people come to faith? A healthy church will have healthy structures, and we see this happening in Acts 6:1-7.
What do you do if you feel like life is one big crisis? You get a few breathers here and there. But stuff keeps coming against you. It’s the same stuff. One day is wow, but the next day something happens and you are woe again. What do the Apostles know that enables them to not only survive another crisis - but thrive? What might that mean for us?
What do you do when a crisis comes? As a follower of Jesus – do you handle crisis differently to everyone else? Acts 4:23-31 shows us what to do when a crisis comes our way.
God has extraordinary uses for ordinary people. God advances his mission in this world, using ordinary people, who become extraordinary when they are filled with his Spirit.
Communion is a little reminder of the big things God has done. Let's celebrate those things.
Death is a startlingly strong and powerful thing. It raises all the big questions: Why that person? Why now? What sense can we make of death? What if we could believe there is life after death - is there any credible evidence to suggest that the resurrection of Jesus is real, and if so, what might that mean for us? Easter answers those question - we are made for eternity!
Christians need to be able to give a reason for our faith - but this doesn't have to be an overwhelming thing. With the right "input" of the gospel, you be able to have the right "output" of the gospel, whenever the need arises. Are you ready to be part of God's rescue plans for his world?
We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon together, sharing worship, communion, testimony and prayer.
Ever wondered if the things that happen in the book of Acts still happen today? Pastor Steve Blake shares his experience of mission and ministry, when the power of the Spirit moves through ordinary followers of Christ.
In Acts 3 we see the mission of the church continue to unfold, with the healing of a man lame since birth. Does God still heal today? Miracles and healing gets our attention and relieves human suffering. But what about when healing doesn't happen? And how can we live this out in our everyday life? Let's learn to "Speak Jesus".
The Church is a community of promise, radically different from other communities and sharing a joy-filled common life, where the resurrection power of God is at work amongst us.
Today we celebrated a baptism! “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
The promise has arrived - and it's for everyone! All nations, all cultures, all society. Men, women, young and old. Where our world is full of confusion, conflict and separation, Acts 2 gives us hope that there is a solution. The solution is the spirit and the spirit is for everyone. Only the spirit will bring us together in ways we are unable to do ourselves. This promise is for you - will you receive it?
Followers of Jesus have been re-born in God's image and are now on mission to spread the good rule and reign of God into all the earth. But on our own we'd be a disaster released into this role. To be successful, we need the promise of the Father, we need the power of the Spirit. What are you waiting for?
When we experience fear, what is the solution? The more you tell yourself not to worry, the more worry seems to take hold! The solution is to turn our attention to the greater reality: God always intends blessing. Just as Joseph said in Genesis 50, even if everything in life seems like it's there to bring harm, know that God's intent is always good.
From ancient times until now, jealousy, murder, hatred, anger, bullying, prejudice and exploitation have been part of human relationships. But God has a solution for human sin and suffering and we see this plan first in the story of Joseph - and then ultimately in the story of Jesus. That solution is forgiveness. It's something we all need - to give and receive.
Where's Wally? Do you ever feel like a tiny, insignificant person in a big sea of busyness around you? Do you wish someone would see you - really notice you? God sees you and promises to provide for you. Why? Because he loves you. And nothing in this world can get in the way of God's love. Looking at the story of Isaac from Genesis 22, we'll see how the ultimate provision God promises us is Jesus.
There's a lady who's sure that all glitters is gold and she's buying a... In Genesis we see people trying to get the good life apart from God. Jacob is no exception. The irony is though, he's trying to earn by effort what God is freely giving by favour: he's trying to buy a stairway to heaven. Once again we'll find Jesus in this story, as God's promise to 'reverse the curse' sees him provide FOR us a stairway to heaven.
Are you called or clever? Does God bless flawed people - or clever people? In Jesus we know we are blessed - because we are called to be his people, the church. Drawing on examples from Abraham's life in the book of Genesis, we learn that it's not about the things we do, but our trust in God that sees us live a blessed life.
Thanks to our guest Dan, from Compassion Australia, for encouraging us with this great message on The Church, from the book of Ephesians.
Is the story of Noah and the flood just a story about an angry God wanting to judge and destroy the earth? Or is there more to this story then we think? God has a purpose for his creation and he won't let sin destroy that purpose. In Genesis 6-9 we see God's grace at work, and are left with a wonderful sign pointing us to Jesus.
Two seeds. One grows a fruit tree. The other weeds. Which will you choose to grow? In Genesis 3 we see how choosing to provide for ourselves, rather then trusting God's provision, breaks down the blessing God had intended for people.
Genesis is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. By understanding who God is and who we are, we have wisdom to answer the big questions society asks.
What are we celebrating this Easter? What was on Jesus' heart hours before his arrest? What was Jesus praying for as his physical time on earth was drawing to a close? If you are celebrating your personal salvation this Easter, perhaps you need to look more closely at the prayer of Jesus in John 17.
In prayer we can tune in to the voice of God by the power of the Spirit. If you're not training yourself to hear from God: why not?!
How do we deal with unanswered prayer? The key is by learning how to deal with disappointment and find hope - where there is no hope. Romans 4:18-21
Ever feel guilty you don't pray enough - or wish you could pray more? Wonder why your prayer life is dull or difficult? This message about prayer will refocus you on what really matters when praying.
God's plan is that through the Church his amazing, multifaceted, diverse, infinite and beautiful wisdom is put display. The worshipping church, in all her variety, shines the light of God into this world in a myriad of ways. Like a prism, shining a rainbow of colour - the Church shines the manifold wisdom of God. Ephesians 3:10.
Jesus has a Church building program - he says he will build his Church. Because of this, we know that the Church is important, significant and strong. So how do we, as believers, respond to this? Be encouraged as we reflect on Matthew 16:18 together.
What are you choosy about? Coffee shops? Hair colour? TV shows? Church: lets be choosy - we should be choosy with the people and voices we listen to and allow to affect our faith and life. But how? Let's look at Matthew 7 and find out.
You are alive because of the breath of God. This meditation from John 20 will bring you to a place of calm and connect you to the life of Jesus. Let Jesus breathe into your life a fresh experience of his Holy Spirit as you meditate on scripture. This mediation is a great way to worship without singing in any small group, church or personal devotional time.
Take some time to draw aside from all that is chaotic and busy, tell your soul to "return to rest - for the Lord has been good to you" (Psalm 116:7). Let the words of this Psalm bring rest, re-focus and energy as you spend time in the presence of Jesus. We can rest because the Lord has already been good to us. This meditation will help you experience the fullness of life that is found in Jesus and his gift of salvation.
How do I find peace? Spend some time with Jesus, discover the gift of peace he has for you. Take some time to be still and hear from God as you journey through John 14. This refreshing, contemplative meditation is perfect to experience on your own, or in a small group. It's a great worship alternative to singing.
If you look at many events in our world and people's reactions to them, you would probably conclude: we have a problem. We need to think differently about ourselves and each other, because we keep doing things that destroy ourselves and harm others. We need to lose our mind - and find a new mind, the mind of Christ. This sermon was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown and looks at what the book of Romans tells us about renewing our mind to be like Christ's.
Part 3 of Christ’s fitness program. Series – looking at the habits (spiritual disciplines) that are to shape our lives in order for them to flourish and for Christ to be formed in us. Over 12 wks, we’re looking at 8 different habits that will help us thrive in our spiritual health. Detox phase: learning to STOP things – increases our trust of God – allows certain “life” toxins to be released us. Wk 1 toxin busyness. Learnt to stop and rest. Sabbath Rest Wk 2 Our identity. Detox our identity, our addiction to approval with the habit of silence, solitude and secret service. Today’s detox: selfishness. Habit of fasting. Learning to deny oneself key part of discipleship journey: