Anchor Church Sydney // City Sermons: Recent Episodes
Anchor Church Sydney
All around us we find advice about how to handle our romantic relationships; and much of the advice is bad. In 1 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul shows us God's intentions for marriage, sex, singleness, divorce and dating.
Our futures determine how we move in the present. This week Arnaldo, Lead Pastor at Anchor South West brings the word from 1 Corinthians 6:1-11. The witness of the church is at stake when we don't learn how to fight well as brothers and sisters in Christ. Listen in as we explore the reality that "our eschatological reality, which is based on our past redemption, should shape our present relationships."
God has done and we believe will continue to do immeasurably more than all we ask for imagine! Today we give God all the glory he deserves for all he's done in the last 10 years!
In a culture of promiscuity the body of Christ is called to holiness as we to honour God with our bodies.
In the previous chapters Paul has rebuked the Corinthians for dividing over which human leaders they follow and evaluating them according to worldly measures. In chapter four he explains how Christian leaders should be 'rightly' regarded; as well as what it means to follow them in the 'foolish' way of the cross.
In a culture and church that feels more divided than ever, what does it look like for us to be one unified body under Christ?
Christianity is not 'cool'! Never was and never will be! At the centre of our faith is a foolish message, spoken to ordinary people, in unimpressive ways. Yet there lies the very power of God!
1 Cor 1:17-19, 20-25, 26-29, 2:1-5
Jesus told parables to conceal as much as he did to reveal truth. Jesus tells this parable to demonstrate the varied responses to his message. Which soil are you like? To those who have ears.
When Jesus ascends to heaven, he places the mission of God into the hands of ordinary people. How are we called to partner with him by being his witnesses in our city today?
What would you be willing to give up for someone that you love? Listen to this Good Friday message on the unfathomable love of God from Pastor James Wong.
The gap between our expectations and reality can often be difficult to come to terms with. As Jesus enters Jerusalem in 33AD, this proves to be true for the Jewish people. Is Jesus the one who will fulfil their expectations?
Our world constantly say 'move up'! Promotions, progress and upward mobility. Yet, if we're to be formed into the likeness of Jesus, we need to adopt His posture of humble service!
How do we fight against the consumerism, materialism and individualism of our age and be formed more and more into the image of Jesus? By practicing the discipline of generosity.
Last year the U.S. Surgeon General along with the World Health Organisation released a report titled 'Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.' Despite being more digitally 'connected' than ever, we are living in a world that has a loneliness problem. The good news is that Jesus invites us into, and offers us, a better way: a vision for community that can satisfy our longings for relationship and is what we were truly created for.
Today, non-stop work has become a virtue. Busy is compulsory. Pausing is a missed opportunity. Now more than ever, we need to take up the practice of Sabbath and hear the invitation of Jesus to come to him and receive rest for our souls.
In a world of constant noise and information, we need to cultivate the places and times for silence and solitude.
Voices shape us, be that the parental voice, educational voice, or social voice. The most important shaping voice in the life of a Christian is God. That's why having a pattern of regular, intentional, spiritual reading of scripture is essential for Christlikeness. There is no healthy, sustaining faith that does not put down deep roots into the Word of God.
We are constantly being formed by the culture around us, the people we spend time with, and the content we consume. The question isn't are we being formed, but rather, who are we being formed into? For the disciple of Jesus; how can we be formed more into the people God has called us to be? James Wong introduces this key series and teaches on the first practice - prayer.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders is so iconic they made a Sunday School song about it. But what is this story truly about; and what does it mean for us today? Guest preacher Adrian Tam from City To City Australia helps us understand Jesus' words from Luke 6.
Forgiveness is falling out of fashion in our (cancel) culture; quickly becoming the distant relative that you rarely see; an outdated relic left to gather dust on the shelf of artifacts that our society no longer sees as necessary or useful. But what does Jesus think about forgiveness? What did he teach his disciples about it? James Wong teaches on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant from Matthew 18.
As humans, we love beautiful things! Whether it’s a a beautiful landscape, or a renaissance painting, or a piece of fine jewellery... But have you ever thought of the Gospel as beautiful? To kick off 2024, James Ayre (Pastor at Anchor South West) unpacks Matthew 13:44-46 to show us the beauty of the Gospel and how it’s worth giving up everything for.
Peace is something we all long for: whether in the world events around us, our relationships with others, or even in a sense of inner-peace found within ourselves. The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, offers us peace that can never be taken away and that will truly last forever.
(Colossians 1:15-20)
Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he is returning. How should we live while we wait?
Renewal comes when the people of God are renewed by the presence of God. The question posed by the story of Exodus 33 and 34 is this: will we be a people formed by God’s presence or by God’s absence?
Fear is one of the most common human experiences. We experience it in acute moments of crisis, but also in the day-to-day worries and anxieties of life. How can the follower of Jesus respond to the presence of fear and anxiety in their life? What alternative story do we have to offer a world plagued by fear? James Wong delivers a faith-fueled message based on the words of Jesus in Mark 4:35-41.
Radiant is Anchor City's women's ministry.Women can easily find themselves entangled in a web of social and community expectations that are sometimes conflicting, often competing, and always overwhelming. In this parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus illustrates why the posture of pride that our society preaches is problematic. Jesus explains that only a heart of humility can accept his gift of righteousness and when we look to him for help, we are made radiant with joy.
How should we respond when we suffer for our faith? Peter exhorts us to keep doing good; living counter-cultural lives that evoke the curiosity of the world around us and following in the example of our Saviour Jesus.
The pressure on any minority is to fit in and thus lose their distinctiveness. Peter instructs these chose exiles not to conform but to be an alert, obedient, holy, and loving people fuelled by the Word of God.
How do we live as Christians in a world that is increasingly Christian? Do we fight? Do we flee? Peter offers us a difference way: the way of being elect exiles.
A showdown between gods. Can we have confidence in the work and love of God? 1 Kings 18 can answer that.
Jesus says that a compassionate response to need is what genuine love for neighbour looks like. On Compassion Sunday 2024 we will look at the famous parable of the good Samaritan.
Friends: We love them, we need them and we all recognise the important role they have to play in our lives. But what does it mean to be a 'Godly' friend? How can we avoid settling for 'low-quality' friendships and instead have and be the kind of friends who enrich each other's lives the way God intended? James Wong shares four traits of Godly friends from Proverbs before facilitating a panel discussion with Mitch Brice and Chrystal Buckingham-Jones.
After 37 chapters of apparent 'silence' - God speaks. Job encounters the awe-inspiring, terrifying God and is humbled.
The book of Job is an invitation to enter into the ancient art of lamenting. In this message James Wong explains the place of lament in the Scriptures and gives us practical steps to help us grow in this necessary yet forgotten practice.
God's power and goodness violently collide with the suffering of this world. How do we make sense of this tension? How does God run the world? What kind of God is he? Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there such a thing as innocent suffering? Job launches us into the heart of the human experience and gives us a God who doesn't answer our questions but is with us in our pain.
God's Vision for the world is to unite all things together under Christ. We play a part in God's mission as people who declare and demonstrate the reign of God in Christ. We also celebrate our partnership with Scott & Ruth and their work in the Philippines.
Running with Perseverance (Hebrews 12:1-11)
How do we endure in our faith for the long haul?
What do we do when our heroes are exposed? Where do we turn when those we put our hope in let us down and disappoint us? James Wong points us to the only sure hope we have in the final installment of our series in 1 & 2 Samuel.
In a world of broken promises, we worship a faithful God who does not make promises with his fingers crossed behind his back!
We’re all waiting for things in life. The question is: will we trust God to bring them about in his timing, or will we take matters into our own hands and fast track our future? James Wong takes us through 1 Samuel 24 as David finds himself confronted with this very situation.
Have you ever come face to face with an insurmountable opponent? Where do you turn when confronted with an impossible situation? The famous story of David & Goliath teaches us three lessons about what to do when the odds seem stacked against you.
Does God delight in sacrifice or obedience? Doing things for him or doing what he says? Saul is rejected as king and we learn a key lesson about relating to God.
How often do we think we know better than God? How often do we desire worldly things because we've lost sight of who He has called us to be? These are some of the issues that plagued the Israelites; but they are issues our hearts still wrestle with today. James Wong shows us where hope can be found as he takes us through 1 Samuel 8.
How do we stand in the presence of a Holy God? Israel learnt the hard way the lesson of treating God like a lucky charm. God's holiness is uncompromising! We appreciate Jesus all the more in light of a deepening appreciation of the holiness of God.
Hannah is an example of waiting in faith, her story and song mirror Israels. Who among us can join in this dangerous & daring song, and sing like Hannah to our powerful, intervening, and gracious God?
God has been abundantly generous towards us in both creation & salvation. Our response if to be people who are abundantly generous like our God.
A life or abundant, lasting fruit is the result of loving union and friendship with Jesus.
Life is about the journey, not the destination right? If that's true, we have to admit that we're lost, and have a nagging sense of homesickness. What if there way a guide, a way? Jesus says 'I am the way.. and the truth, and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me." Explore this simple, yet profoundly counter cultural statement!
According to the late Benjamin Franklin there are only two certainties in this life: death and taxes. But what comes after death? Is there a hope beyond the grave available to us that is more than warm sentiment or wishful thinking? Jesus addresses this very question in John 11 as he makes his most dramatic claim yet.
Are you searching for something to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul? Jesus say, your search is over! He is the bread of life, whoever feeds on him will never be hungry again.
We are all searching for guides to follow. Whether it's for fitness advice, life coaching, investment portfolio tips or relationship principles - we all seek the wisdom and experience of others to help us on our journey of life. But how do we know who we should listen to? What makes someone a guide worth following? In John 8 Jesus makes his second "I am" statement - claiming that he is the ultimate guide, and the one that all people should follow.
Are you searching for something to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul? Jesus say, your search is over! He is the bread of life, whoever feeds on him will never be hungry again.
Who are we? Why do we do what we do? Vision Sunday is a reminder of what makes us tick.
A Summer Series exploring themes from some of our favourite blockbuster movies. This series will help us “read” the messages our culture is preaching, and how they intersect with the gospel. Film and movies are one of the most powerful forces that shape our thinking and worldview. This Summer we’re ‘going to the movies’ together as we find out how Lord of the Rings (Jan 8 ), Creed (Jan 15), and Ferdinand (Jan 22) intersect with a biblical worldview.
What can we learn from the key messages of the movie Creed? How does the good news of Jesus speak to the central themes of the movie? James Wong takes us on a journey through one of his favourite movies while showing how believers can critique and learn from pop culture and mainstream media.
At Christmas we celebrate that Jesus came as King, but not the kind of King you've expect.
God has pity on a godless nation... but Jonah? Jonah is concerned about a withering vine. Jonah chap 4 is a contrast between our hearts and the heart of God.
God is a God of second chances! Jonah & Nineveh are both given a second chance. But repentance isn't just a ninety degree turn, it's a full one-eighty. It's turning from your ways, to God's ways!
Jonah, the rebel prophet, demonstrates that you simply can't run from the presence and call of God! Are you running?
In the world but not of it. Jesus prays that his followers would be sanctified, holy, AND in the world. How?
We all have moments of glory… the things that we hang on our wall. Whether it’s a family photo, a trophy from that big game or marathon, or maybe a degree. But if someone was to ask you, what moment of glory would God hang on His metaphorical wall… what would it be?
This week, James Ayre takes us through the beginning of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, as Jesus reveals the reality of glory and the reality of eternal life. We see Jesus’ work on the Cross is the ultimate moment of glory and how that should shape every aspect of our lives.
If we're honest - most of the time when it comes to giving we tend to view it as an act of deprivation. What will it cost me to give these resources away? But what if Jesus was right when he said “It is more blessed to give than to receive"? What if the act of giving is more an invitation into blessing than an act of deprivation?
If you give attention to this one thing in your life, it will lead to abundant, lasting fruitfulness! The one thing? Friendship with Jesus!
Our inward love has an outward impact.
The love we display as a community of Jesus followers ought to be a magnet that draws people to Christ.
Jesus gave his followers the Great Commission of making disciples throughout all the world. But how do we actually do this? James Wong shares an empowering message to help us tune our lives to God's missional frequency, and play our part through courageously partnering with him.
Everything is meaningless... unless of course God is judge, then everything matters! To be fully human is the fear God and keep his commandments!
If there is no God then justice and human dignity are meaningless. Ecclesiastes confronts a god-less worldview with tough questions. Thankful God is committed to both justice and human dignity and he demonstrates that most clearly in Jesus.
Western culture has a many ideas of who God is and what He is like. In this stand-alone sermon, James Ayre shows us from Psalm 103 that God is a loving father.
We’re in a season where it’s natural to have hesitancy towards being involved in community; over the past few years we’ve faced legitimate health concerns while also being conditioned to live in an isolated way. How do we move forward as a community? James Wong reminds us of the invaluable part we have to play in community and encourages us to lean into that.
On Church Planting Sunday we see the TYPE of church we need to be in post-Christian, secular Sydney. We are simultaneously called out of, and send into the world. We are chosen exiles, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood.
There is a vanity to time. It is fleeting and we cannot control it: we cannot change the past, and we cannot predict the future. How do we live in light of this universal reality? James Wong explains what this means for us as the people of God.
Sex, money, power, wine, laughter and entertainment... it's all vanity according to the man to tried it all!
"Smoke, nothing but smoke. There's nothing to anything -- it's all smoke. What's there to show for a lifetime of work, lifetime of working your finders to the bone?"
This is the ancient question that opens up the perplexing book of Ecclesiastes. Even though this book is around 2500 years old, it speaks to modern fears of meaninglessness, modern hopes of leading a decent life, and the deepest of all modern questions: What is the good life?
Join us as Pastor at Anchor South West, Arnaldo opens up our new series "VANITAS: Life Under the Sun".
Thank you for tuning in and we hope you were blessed by this teaching. We hope to see you at one of our Gatherings soon.
The dangerous idea of the resurrection is earth shatteringly relevant. The resurrection of Jesus not only secures our future but bring peace to our present!
On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. But what's so significant about his choice of animal? James Wong unpacks Luke 19:28-38 and helps us see how Jesus' entry communicated his mission: to bring sinners peace with God.
In a 24/7, always-on, relentlessly busy culture, perhaps sabbath rest acts as out biggest act of resistance and defiance against the cultures formation of us!
Jesus lived a life that demonstrated generous justice to the least of these. In time where there is so much injustice around the world and in our own backyard, how are we to respond? In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus shows us a model of how we're to demonstrate the love of God in how we demonstrate the gospel through generous justice.
Jesus got proximate with the people he came to save. The incarnation is a model for mission and ministry. We identify with people without losing our identity.
Jesus lived in attentive obedience to the Father. What motivated Jesus to a life of attentive obedience was his unique, intimate, personal, and loving relationship with the Father. We too have been invited into this special relationship with the Father through the Son. Only then we can partner with him in living the life he has called unto live, a life of attentive obedience for the sake of his glory.
Prayer isn't a shopping trolley of requests that we ram into the gates of heaven. Prayer forms us! More than just 'asking', prayer is about communion with our Father, partnering with Him in what He's doing in the world, while He shapes us into the image of Jesus.
The only way to flourish in your faith and endure hardships is to meditate deeply on God's word! Scripture meditation is our 2nd practice in the way of Jesus.
All of Jesus' life and ministry was lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. As His apprentices, it is impossible to be formed into Jesus' image with the work of the Holy Spirit.
Vision Sunday Part 2 is a reminder of the foundational purpose we have as a church - to make emotionally healthy, missional apprentices of Jesus.
Our vision for 2022 is to be a church that moves forward on its knees. We long to see a church that is deeply prayerful and dependent on God.
We're excited to announce that we are commissioning another church plant to join the Anchor Family of Churches! Led by James & Callin Dawson, we believe God has called to us to send out another launch team to plant a new church in the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
Arnaldo, pastor of Anchor South West will be asking this question: Why do we plant churches? And the reality is that there are a million reasons! But we'll explore the reasons why Joy, Love, & Glory stand out amongst the many.
We pray you are blessed by this teaching and hope to see you at one of our Gatherings soon.
How do you respond when life brings storms of hardship and difficulty your way? Join us as James Wong shares a faith-inspiring message based on Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4.
Today we kick off 2022 by looking at the goal of the Christian life; to be more like Jesus. James Ayre unpacks from Hebrews 12:1-3 what it looks like to stumble towards Christ-likeness as we seek to 'press in' and 'throw off'.
2021 has been a tough year. We’re tired of all the uncertainty caused by Covid, lockdowns and isolation. Jesus brings hope to a weary world that goes beyond circumstances.
Unless we recognise our desperate need for Jesus we won’t embrace him as Saviour. Listen as we see the necessity for Jesus to enter into the chaos of this world to bring his peace and restoration.
Today we look at one of the most counter-cultural financial principles in the Bible—stewardship. Whatever we have is not ours, it belongs to God. He has entrusted his resources into our hands to bring his blessing to the world.
We look at the radical example of John Wesley who exemplified Christian stewardship, and lived by the three rules: Gain all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can.
Jesus has a compelling ability to make strangers into family and others into us. He did this primarily through eating meals around a table. Few practices are more important for this cultural moment than hospitality.
Fighting greed and finding contentment involves, not a change in circumstance but finding our deepest satisfaction in the presence of God and his promises to be faithful to us.
The early church were radically generous, liquidating their assets to care for those in need!
How do we experience God's love when we can't see, hear or touch him? Preaching from 1 John 4:7-12, Chloe Stewart shares how one way we experience God's love is through the church. We can give and receive God's love as we give and receive love from one another.
We have a creative and generous Father who longs to bless his children with good things. From his abundance in creation to his generosity in salvation, God overflows with generosity.
God is committed to be near and with his people despite their rebellion. God has always wanted to dwell amongst his people, from the first page to last of scripture.
Throughout the book of Exodus, we've been asking the question: how will God dwell with his wayward people? In the final analysis, the only thing more intractable, more stubborn, more tenacious, than the power of Sin, is the goodness, the mercy, the grace of Yahweh.
The "Golden Calf" ... even if you don't consider yourself religious, you may have heard of it. It's one of the most iconic scenes in the Old Testament It's a story of betrayal, heartbreak, idolatry and the long-suffering patience of a God who won't quit on his people.
In Exodus 24, we witness a covenant ceremony where Israel "ties the knot" with Yahweh—a relationship established by grace, enjoyed in obedience—expressing her commitment to live in God's ways of love.
Our late-modern age is indelibly shaped by the Ten Words given to a group of freshly-emancipated slaves 3,000 years ago. We know them as the Ten Commandments, but they are so much more. Join us as Arnaldo Santiago jr. shows us how the Ten Words are an act of grace that leads to mission.
The reason God calls us to love the foreigner is because it's the way he has loved us. In the story of redemption, we are the outsider. Understanding this reality leads to inclusion and love for the marginalised.
The Israelites gain their freedom! Rather, they're gifted their freedom as Yahweh leads them through the Red Sea and there is a celebration like no other. But what happens when praise becomes bitterness? And trust becomes doubt? What happens when you enter the wilderness of your life? Is God still good? Is he still with us?
Many of us may be finding it hard to praise God in this current moment of history. Coronavirus, global conflict, loss of loved ones, and much more. By studying the Song of Moses, which the Israelites sang to God after crossing the Red Sea, James Wong reminds us of the reasons we have to praise God and encourages us to find our praise again in this season.
Sometimes God's way just doesn't seem to make sense. In Exodus 14 we explore three puzzling commands from God that all work our for Israel's deliverance and God's glory.
Our faith is an embodied faith. As Israel reenacted the passover, so we reenact and experience God's grace, remembering Jesus in the Lord's Supper.
When life is hard, it can be hard to trust God. But in every hardship, there is an invitation to experience God's formation. God uses suffering to develop our resilience and deepen our trust in him as we re-centre on his character.
God calls each and every one of us to partner with him in the renewal of all things. St. Augustine said: “Without God, we can’t … but without us, He won’t.” This liberating truth draws us into the mission of God. This week we’re exploring Moses’s five objections to partnering with God to bring renewal and freedom to his enslaved brothers and sisters in Egypt. Listen in as Pastor Arnaldo explores Exodus 3–4 today.
As we kick off our new series in Exodus, we explore the reality that the God of the Exodus is a God who is never far from his suffering people. While we may think God is absent, he is working to rescue. We look forward to having you join us on this journey.
Global Mission Sunday: God's heart for the nations and our Great Commission to make disciples of all nations has not changed despite this global pandemic. Join us as James Wong walks us through Acts 1:6–11.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians ends with a call to warfare. But our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the Powers and Principalities who seek to deform any benign, and even good, thing into a defining and ultimate reality, thereby dividing, dehumanising, and disordering our humanity.
This week, Anchor South West Lead Pastor Arnaldo Santiago Jr. will be walking us through Ephesians 6:1–9.
As Paul unpacks a new household code, he will use the form but subvert it to serve the purposes of the kingdom of God. Rather than call on husbands, fathers, and masters to use their position of social power for themselves, they are commanded to a mutual love that seeks to serve rather than be served.
A Spirit-filled marriage is one of mutual submission and wholly giving of yourself to the other, as a picture of the grand narrative of Jesus and his bride (the church).
The Christian life is about imitating. As we keep company with Jesus we learn a life of love. This sermon explores what it means to walk in love, walk in the light, walk in wisdom and walk in step with the Spirit.
Fundamental change happens to us when the sense of who we are is revolutionised. Behaviour follows our sense of identity. Listen as we unpack and understand what our new identity in Jesus means. Ephesians 4:17-32
Inspired by Tim Chester's book, Enjoying God, we discover that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, are relating to us day-by-day, moment-by-moment, far more than we perhaps realise. One way God the Father relates to us, showing us that he loves us, is by generously providing for us. And one way we can respond and enjoy him more is by saying Thank You.
In Ephesians 4, Paul turns from theology to practice, introducing us to the concept of spiritual fitness. The people of God are joined together as a body. Our goal is body building. The church is our spiritual gym.
On Pentecost Sunday we look at the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering the church to fulfil the mission Jesus had given them. If we want to be a true movement of church-planting churches, we need to be a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered church.
We live in a hyper-individualised world. This is no surprise; but the way in which this posture in the world has affected the church has been nothing short of disastrous.
This week's message is about Paul's prayer for power to comprehend the love of Christ toward his people. But this needs to be understood in its communal context.
Listen in as Arnaldo Santiago jr. walks us through Ephesians 3:14–21, teaching us that there are dimensions of God's love that we cannot experience apart from deep communion with others.
The cross of Christ doesn't just deal with the vertical but the horizontal. It obliterates not just the alienation between us and God, but the alienation between us and us.
The cross of Christ creates a new reality in which we are invited to participate—a new humanity, a new 'us'. Anchor South West Lead Pastor, Arnaldo Santiago Jr., explores the ways the cross overcomes the deep hostility of both the ancient and the modern world.
Getaway 2021: Sunday Morning Session
As a people who have been transformed by grace, how do we make God's grace visible to others? Jame Ayre explains from Acts 2:37-47 the ways that God makes His grace visible through how we love one another in our third and final session of Getaway 2021.
Getaway 2021: Saturday Afternoon Session
So often, we struggle to leave our old life behind because we don't know how to walk in our new identity. We continue to see ourselves and live according to who we used to be, not who we are now in Christ. James Wong explains how grace changes us in the second session from Getaway 2021.
Our world is overly optimistic about human nature. We need a biblical anthropology in order to shape our thinking. Outside of Jesus, we are spiritually dead. But United to him we had been made alive!
We desperately need a fresh vision of God and what he has done for us, otherwise we will just manage the decline of the Church. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians gives us a radical and compelling view of God to lift our sight.
We can't really know ourselves by looking out to others, or into ourselves, but up to God. Ephesians 1 lists six identity statements that are your true reality. These are the most defining things about you!
As Mary weeps by the tomb of Jesus, what will become of her tears? Watch as she encounters the risen Jesus, who turns her weeping to joy, whose resurrection reverses death and darkness, bringing in a new age of life and light.
At the heart of the Easter story is a substitution. Jesus dies in our place. In the face of Barabbas we see ourselves. Our chains are gone, we are set free.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday he receives a victorious, celebratory reception from the crowds. But what kind of victory does Jesus bring? What kind of king will he be? Tune in to find answers to these questions as James Wong unpacks John 12:12–19.
What does 'greatness' look like? Jesus tells us that the way up is down! This is his counter-cultural manifesto for incarnational, embodied service!
Jesus flips the cultural script about where we find our worth and value. He doesn't want us hedging our bets but living in fullness, withholding nothing from him.
Even the greatest doubted! How do we navigate seasons of doubt and come out with a stronger faith?
Come on a journey as a curious but confused rabbi encounters Jesus and have his soul quickened and life transformed!
As Jesus feeds a hungry crowd in John 6:1–15, we're confronted with our own experience of hunger and desire. Where can we find "bread that lasts"? Where can we find true and lasting satisfactions for the hungers of our hearts?
As a paralysed man encounters Jesus, why is it that Jesus would initially overlook the man's obvious need? Jesus responds to risky faith in a surprising way.
Happiness is elusive. We think "If I just had this, then I'd be happy". Jesus offers us a path to human happiness that doesn't depend on getting more, but embraces contentment with what we have.
Growing in your faith is not automatic, it requires effort and intention. What part do I play, and what part does God in our spiritual growth?
Relationships are at the heart of what it means to be human! In this message, James Wong shares two essential, practical principles that we should incorporate into our lives in order to experience successful, prosperous relationships.
Money makes a terrible master, but a good servant. As we live with Jesus as our Master, the principle of stewardship has the potential to revolutionise our finances in 2021!
Our generation is more aware of the brokenness in the world and within ourselves than ever before, leaving us overwhelmed and emotionally fractured. Jesus gives us the courage and curiosity to face our inner brokenness and pursue our restoration.
We're used to the photoshopped version of nativity scenes at Christmas. The reality is the first Christmas was a mess. Find out how God was and is at work in a messy and broken world.
Whatever you wait for will give shape to your life. In a year of acute despair, how does waiting for Jesus's return make us into a people of hope and faith?
More important than what God can do for you to end your waiting is what God is doing in you while you’re waiting. And this is what Advent is all about … about learning to wait for the LORD. Join us as the ancient prophet Isaiah guides us as we learn to wait for the King.
Advent helps us enter into the drama of history, waiting for God’s kingdom to bring a better world.
The Psalms take us on a journey from lament to praise. Psalm 150 climaxes in a rowdy, raucous and holy noise of praise! It reminds us that God is worthy of our praise!
We all desire to be known. But how can we feel safe to be real about our inner darkness?
Envy is a distorted interpretation of what is. It robs us of our joy. How do we have a perspective shift away from envying this world to desiring God above all else?
Psalm 51 confronts us with the dark reality of sin and guilt. As David confesses to God, we're left with the question: How can I experience cleansing from sin?
What do we do when we feel spiritually dry and drowning under life waves? Psalm 42 is an honest and determined cry to experience more of God.
Who can I trust to lead and care for me? We get a compelling vision of the contentment and wholeness that comes with a life led by God. A God that isn't just with us in times of trouble but is hospitable.
In this Psalm, David marvels at how creation reveals the glory of God, praises the Word of God as life-giving and valuable, and calls upon God to Redeem him from his own brokenness. Do you know this Redeemer?
If you were asked: 'what is a human being?' how would you answer? There are a million and one ways to think about or to explore the complexity of the human race. What would you say if the Bible thinks about humanity as Kings & Queens? Listen in to find out an ancient answer to one of the most important questions you can ask.
The blessed, happy and fulfilled life is one that has God's word as it source and check's its circle of influence.
As we celebrate Compassion Sunday, Brad Konemann teaches us about God's heart for the poor, and how Jesus brings justice to the oppressed.
The church is a family to belong to, not an event to attend.
Originally presented on June 17, 2018.
God is not hiring employees, he's adopting children!
Originally presented on June 10, 2018.
In his famous parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus reveals the heart of God—full of compassion and love for his lost and wayward children.
Originally presented June 3, 2018.
James Wong closes out our series Deconstructing God with a message on what to do when you encounter hypocrisy and brokenness in the church.
In a world which tells us to deny your desires is damaging, or even dangerous, how can the Christian sex ethic possibly be good news for those with same-sex attraction?
Suffering is a painful and personal reality for all of us, and has caused many people to walk away from God. So if God exists, how could he possibly allow suffering?
How do we square the horrible reality of violence in the Old Testament with a good and loving God?
Struggling with doubt? You're not alone. In this honest teaching, Alex Stark debunks some myths about doubt and gives us a manual to guide us through doubts. Unless you have a healthy understanding of the nature of doubt, you won't know what to do when it comes.
Anxiety devastates our lives and communities but thankfully it doesn’t have to have the last word. The Lord has made hope & peace available, both now and in the future. Listen as Pastor James Wong is joined by Dr Kam Wong.
Originally published on 11 August 2019.
Originally published on 11 July 2019
There is both hope for change and grace for mistakes for those who wrestle with addiction and negative patterns of behaviour. Listen as Lead Pastor Matt Sparks is joined by Clinical Psychologist Laura Schermann.
Originally published on 4 July 2019
Where is God when we experience the dark night of the soul? Over 50% of us will suffer with some form of mental illness at some point in our life. What does it mean to do so as a Christian? Listen as Pastor Arnaldo Santiago Jr is joined by Dr Nicolette Maher.
Originally published on 28 July 2019
What is in you, comes out of you. When we experience the incredible forgiveness of God we begin to see how forgiving others is not only possible but also joyful.
We are reminded by the theologian Fredrick Brunner that "The Lord's Prayer stretches from the Father at the beginning to the devil at the end, from heaven to hell, and in between in six brief petitions everything important in life."
Everything important in life.
And we can't imagine a more basic human need for provision of food. In this sermon, we are looking at how seven short words (Give us this day our daily bread) shapes us as the people of God. Listen in!
The Lord's Prayer challenges us to radically reorient our prayer lives. Pray is not about informing God of our plans and purposes but about calling upon God to fulfil His own. Praying, "hallowed be YOUR name, YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done", is the most audacious prayer we could ever pray, as well and an invitation to partner with God in His mission.
If you ask the Creator of the universe: "Teach me to pray," how do you think he will respond?
For the next several weeks we will be taking a journey through the most powerful prayer ever prayed. A paradigm of prayer that encompasses heaven and hell and everything in between.
As we kick off this series we will look at the ways Jesus helps us to integrate our posture and practice as we pray to our Father.
When we play the 'comparison game', comparing ourselves to others we end up devaluing other or devaluing ourselves. How does Jesus set us free?
What is the church? What needs to be true about a community of people who come under the love and lordship of Jesus Christ? Listen in as we look to the early church in the book of Acts as a model of what it means to follow in the way of Jesus today.
Is the resurrection believable? Here are 7 reasons why we reckon it is and 3 why you ought to want it to be true!
Why is Good Friday good? Why did Jesus die? Why do we celebrate his brutal execution? What does it all mean for us?
In a time of uncertainty, what does it look like for us to live by faith? How can we have a unique response to the COVID crisis as the people of God?
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, churches are no longer meeting together in person. How do we respond? How can we continue to meet together when we can't?
'Who is God?' is an important question that comes up when a crisis hits. One that doesn't come up as often that is equally important is: 'Who are the people of God to be in the face of uncertainty?' Listen in as we explore the posture of faithful presence in the midst of panic and fear.
Passive, apathetic faith will lead to drifting away, but we have such an incredible salvation, let's lean into it, living by Jesus' message and not the worlds.
Don Reddin Lead Pastor of CityLight Church Adelaide joins us to finish of Vision Month and give us a fresh vision of multiplication.
Join Lead Pastor Matt Sparks and Church Planting Resident Arnaldo Santiago in a dialogue about the why, where, who and how of Anchor's first church plant.
We want more of God not just more from God. Our lead pastor shares what he believes God wants for our church in 2020.
Plot twists are so captivating because they’re often not what we expect to happen. Near the start of his ministry Jesus reveals a plot twist of his own by surprising the religious leaders with what his mission is and who he came to call.
Who will you become in 2020? We are shaped far more by the stories, slogans and deep beliefs of our culture that we often think. What does it look like to be shaped by the reality that God has entered human history to give the gift of himself?
So often we can have a view of Jesus that is more shaped by the church or our culture than the Scriptures. We’ll look at Revelation 19 to explore an angle of Jesus often neglected today; that of him ruling and reigning as the Warrior King.
This season of Advent is an opportunity for us to face our darkness and prepare our hearts to receive God's light.
Our culture doesn't train us to wait well. Learn how Advent can train us to wait for God in the everyday things of life, as well as the return of the King.
Often Christians may believe that the work of our hands and hearts, our 90,000 hours will be left behind when Jesus wraps up history. The Scriptures tell a different story... listen in as we explore the nexus of the mission of God and our 90,000 hours.
In a culture that travels at a violent pace, what does it look like to stop, rest, mediate and enjoy the beauty of God’s world?
Our world can often be stripped of grace, leaving us hard and heartless. A passive sentimentality is no answer to this reality. What does it look like to embody forgiveness in a way that is humane, biblical, and psychologically sound?
God wants to change our lives just as He changed the lives of Joseph's brothers. When it comes to God, no one is beyond his transforming power.
Your work is where God wants to use you. God raises Joseph up as a highly successful secular leader to bring his blessing to the world.
Waiting is hard; but in your waiting God is working to stretch your faith! How can you learn to wait well?
Joseph, now in Egypt, rises to prosperity but soon faces an injustice that sends him crashing back into the pit. Where is God in the midst of this new trial?
Favouritism breeds family dysfunction. Jacob loves Joseph more than any of his brothers, and his brothers hate him.
Jesus is a giver, not a taker. A way of seeing all of salvation is that Jesus gives and we receive.
You cannot earn God's acceptance by trying really hard but simply trusting in Jesus love for you.
How do we make good decisions as Christians? Jeff Jones introduces us to a framework to make Bible-based, God-fearing, Spirit-led, Jesus-like decisions.
In a secular age, do we have any grounds for confidence that the church will have future?
Our goal is not relevance but reverence. We are called to be a counter-cultural collective.
Conflict can ruin relationships and divide churches. Jesus calls his disciples to respond to conflict with peacemaking, so that we might experience healthy relationships in community.
The story of Peter taking a step of faith to walk on water seems a fitting analogy of both Anchor’s past 5 years and our hoped for future.
In an age that disciples us to live radically self-centred lives, the church is the only place that cultivates the kind of life built for flourishing, we are better together.
Paul in Romans 7 shows what our relationship as believers should be with the law. We’re not to live under the law, we are not to throw it away, but because of the gospel of grace God fulfils the law in us.
The resurrection unleashes a harvest of life! This resurrection Sunday we explore the life changing difference the resurrection makes.
Free grace does not mean cheap grace. Paul reminds us that our new life and our new master empower us to leave our life of sin.
God’s gift of grace to us in Jesus is unlike anything else. We naturally have a propensity to work, to strive for, and to celebrate the milestones we reach. However, grace empties us of all pride, self-sufficiency and boasting.
The good news is not that God responds to what we do, but that we respond to what God does! Matt Sparks explores 3 key words as he dissects the anatomy of the gospel in Romans 3.
All of humanity, the rebel and the religious, stand under the just wrath of a loving God
On Mission when in Romans: Correcting some assumptions to help us share Jesus with others
Romans is a letter that has changed the world and our hope is that it would change our hearts and city as we journey through it.
To follow Jesus, or as John Mark prefers to say, “apprentice under Jesus,” is, by definition, to follow His way of life. How do we guide people into this life-changing apprenticeship in this cultural moment?
Outside of countercultural christian dogginess, what does the biblical worldview have to say about fashion and social justice.
How is social media and smartphones impacting our lives? What is it doing to our relationships and self worth? Listen as we explore the christian worldview on these everyday technologies.
How do we follow Jesus in a food-obsessed world? Who can you invite to the Table this year? Listen as we explore the spiritual depth of something as everyday as food.
More important than what God can do for you to end your waiting is what God is doing in you while you’re waiting.
God can draw straight lines with crooked sticks. Reminder that God uses our crooked lives to fulfil his good purposes.
Tim Costello, CEO of Micah Australia and Chief Advocate of World Vision Australia, speaks to us about what it looks like for the church to be salt and light in our world. ⠀
We don’t always follow God’s plan, even when it’s clear. Follow the story of sneaky Isaac, scheming Rebecca, snatching Jacob and savage Esau.
The story of God has never been about the merit of the one chosen, but the grace of the one who chooses.
Seti Latu takes us back to God's foundations for marriage in Genesis 2, outlining 5 keys to a healthy marriage.
In our sex-saturated culture, the idea of being single and celibate is unthinkable. In this talk, Matt Sparks helps us consider the Bible's teaching on singleness and how we can create a community where, no matter what your relationship status, we all thrive as we seek to be the family of God
How do we make disciples? By prayerfully sowing the seed of the gospel into people's lives.
Who makes disciples? If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are a disciple-maker. There are no spectators in the church. God wants to use you!
How do I follow Jesus? Being a disciple isn't simply about believing the right things, but living like Jesus.
How do I follow Jesus? At the heart of being a disciple of Jesus is the heart—we need inner renewal to love like Jesus.
How do I follow Jesus? A disciple of Jesus is someone that is learning to love and live like Jesus. This transformative learning begins with our heads, sinks down to our hearts, and overflows to our hands.
What does Jesus require of me? Awakened to new life by the gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to follow him and fish for people.
What did Jesus come to do? As Jesus brings the kingdom of God, he heals everything sin has broken.
Who is Jesus? This is the most fundamental question for discipleship. As the Son of God, Jesus Christ has a unique authority to which we must yield.
As we prepare to launch a second service to #MakeRoom for more people to encounter Jesus, we looked at the faith-in-action of the paralytic's four friends in Mark 2 and Matt Sparks challenged us to have a #WhateverItTakes attitude to bring our friends to Jesus.
Paul instructs Titus to teach sound doctrine for life, so that our lives might make the gospel attractive to a watching world.
Baby Dedication Sunday. Children are the greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus elevates the status of children, welcoming them as members of the kingdom of God, and holds kids up as our kingdom example.
As he outlines qualification for elders, Paul emphasises the critical importance of belief matching up with behaviour.
As we celebrate Anchor's 4th Birthday, Matt Sparks reminded us of the joy of partnership.
As Jesus concludes his Manifesto, he confronts us with the necessity of choice. There are only two ways to live: one leads to life, one to destruction. You cannot remain indifferent to his teaching. Make sure you choose the way that leads to life.
Jesus shows us how to relate to our brothers and sisters in the kingdom, to outsiders, to God, and—in the end—to everyone.
Guest preacher Rev Stuart Coulton challenged us to whole-hearted devotion to God. Serving any master apart from God leads to anxiety. Instead of being preoccupied with money, career, or lifestyle, we need to seek first God's kingdom knowing that our Father loves us and will provide for our needs.
Jesus is calling for a radical shift in your relationship with 'your' money—you are not what you have, rather radical generosity is the path to human flourishing.
Hypocrisy is a performance of the counterfeit life, doing good things from a bad heart. But God's people don't need to perform for the acceptance of others anymore—we can rest in the acceptance we have in Jesus and enjoy the authentic kingdom life.
In his teaching about prayer, Jesus does not give us a new technique for approaching God, but a new relationship to enjoy with God.
In his final case study of what it looks like for his disciples to be salt and light, Jesus teaches us to respond to enemies with non-retaliation and love.
The Bible's message about sex and marriage cuts against the grain of our culture. But Jesus's call to radical purity, faithfulness and integrity have never been more profoundly relevant.
Jesus's teaching on anger reveals that there is more than one way to murder, and the urgent importance of being reconciled to others.
Nepal: https://youtu.be/ap-QXsKzrAU. Justice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A14THPoc4-4
No life ever lived on this planet has been so influential in the affairs of men like the life of Jesus Christ. From that brief life and its apparent frustration has flowed a more powerful force for the triumphant waging of man's long battle than any other ever known by the human race.
Jesus teaches the subversive, counter-intuitive, upside-down values of the kingdom of heaven that cut against the values of the world.
This training seminar has been designed to equip us in reaching our city with the good news of Jesus.
Guest speaker Dan Paterson helps us consider the claim right at the heart of the Christian faith, that Jesus of Nazareth physically rose from the dead three days after being crucified.
Jesus shows his disciples that fear of man is the root of hypocrisy and fear of God is the foundation for a life of mission in the face of opposition.
The fear of death haunts everyone one. Yet Jesus does not fear death and in the light of the gospel fear of death melts away.
There are different responses to the gospel. The receptive heart hears the word and applies it.
True greatness is determined by your relationship to the kingdom of God. External appearances can be deceiving.
There is an unbreakable link between a tree’s roots and the fruit it bears. What comes out of the mouth is a projection of the heart. Be more concerned about your own heart than anyone else’s.
Loving your enemy was never intended by Jesus to be an untested ideal but a practical example of how the gospel radically changes the way we love people.
The gospel is not that Jesus accepts good people—it’s that Jesus calls sinners. Jesus breaks religious convention in order to reach the lost and demonstrate to the religious that they’ve got it wrong.
Jesus demonstrates his authority to forgive sins by healing the paralytic and then calls a sinner to follow him.
Jesus reveals his identity to Simon Peter, that he is Lord and has authority over our lives. We are unworthy to stand before him, but Jesus uses unworthy people for his mission.
The devil tries to derail the mission of Jesus by tempting him, but Jesus resists in the power of the Spirit and by the word of God.
Jesus is God’s salvation. There is something special about this child. Everyone recognises it!
The good news of the birth of Jesus is cosmic good news of glory to God and peace to men. It is to be believed and shared.
The faith & joy of Mary & Elizabeth’s inclusion in the plan of God is the most appropriate response when God uses unlikely people to achieve his purposes
God works the impossible; he makes a barren woman & a virgin conceive, foretelling that their children will change the world – Mary’s response to the message is prototypical of all disciples – Faith!