Red Church: Recent Episodes
Red Church
As Easter approaches Andy zooms in on Jesus' trial under Pilate. We learn that from the dissatisfaction of the Jewish community to the might of Rome, there are ways that this trial still continues today in our time.
Mapping the course of humans’ desire for wisdom apart from God throughout the Old Testament accounts, Mark reminds us that Jesus made a way back to true wisdom in God’s presence.
Exploring the story of the woman at the well in John 4, Brittany walks us through the text to uncover what Jesus means when he offers us living water.
When much of our world is in tumult, we look for good government. Mark explores how Jesus’ work on the cross brought together both justice and love to establish a Kingdom where we are able to flourish in Him.
Ryan shares from the prophetic promise of Malachi and the story of its fulfilment in the life of John the Baptist. We are called not to dwell in the past, but step with God into who He is calling us to be, a living example of the coming Kingdom of God.
As we commence Lent, Brittany helps us identify the thread of the sacrament of communion weaved throughout the Biblical narrative and the significance of Jesus’ invitation to partake in this sacred meal.
To close the Future series, Mark, through James 5:7, points to the fruitfulness and renewal promised when we surrender whole-heartedly to the life of discipleship to Jesus.
Growth is essential to the life of a flourishing disciple. By viewing our growth through the Biblical metaphor of a garden, we can better understand how to cultivate a deep and rich faith.
In this week’s message Mark suggests that many of us have bought into the myth that the life of discipleship to Jesus is good but too hard. Though the gospel tells us otherwise.
In the first of four messages looking at the vision of what’s ahead for us a Church, grounded in the principles of discipleship, Mark speaks from Philippians 3 reminding us that disruption alone will not initiate renewal.
As the year begins to pull us into the routines of everyday life, Brittany encourages us to pause and recognise what we may be holding onto, inviting us to open our hands to Jesus and welcome His transformative presence.
There are many unknowns for 2022, but God is consistent. Examining Psalm 46, Mark invites us to return to the simplicity of remembering who God is and His vision for us as his people.
As the year gets underway, Ryan reminds us of that as followers of God we can easily get anchored in ‘the story’ that our world offers us.
We see the reality of the true story of God when we read Exodus. We need to see as the Israelites saw and do as the Israelites did, freeing us to live in God’s will and way.https://chrt.fm/track/3323E/
Brittany leads us to discover the significance of Jesus’ first appearance at the temple, inviting us to posture ourselves as Anna & Simeon did, faithfully waiting for the arrival of the promised Messiah.
Ryan explores the biblical verses which underpin the Christmas nativity scene. As we delve into biblical truth around the story of both the shepherds and the ‘wise men’, God is inviting us to live simple surrendered lives through which He can bring His glory into the world.
Brittany invites us to step into Mary’s story and witness her steady, trustworthy and reliable response to God’s invitation to carry Jesus: His faithfulness made incarnate.
As Advent begins, Mark concludes the series on David’s life by revealing the ways in which David was a king that pointed to Jesus.
Ryan unpacks the warning that can be taken from the story of Absalom, how we are all in a battle between flesh and spirit and how ultimately, the posture of our heart will chart the course of our life.
David contributed 73 of the 150 Psalms. Trudi examines how these writings of David and others, can shape our devotional life and intimacy with Christ in prayer.
Ryan reflects on 1 Samuel 24, the ‘cave moment’ of David’s life. In this moment of adversity, unjust persecution and crisis, David is able to walk by faith not fear. Despite the pressure of the circumstances and contrary to the voices around him, David recognises and follows God’s will. As humans, we want out of our ‘cave moments’ but God allows us to walk into them, so he can lead us out of them.
Brittany invites us to pause and immerse ourselves in the richness of Psalm 23, sitting with David as he teaches us about God as our Shepherd.
Mark explores the lessons we can glean from the lives of Saul, Samuel and David in leading a life formed and led by God.
Understanding the terms of battle in central to our walk of discipleship. When David approached and defeated Goliath we learn that his victory was sealed long before the battle, in a place of hiddenness with God.
Brittany introduces the series by touching on the overarching themes of this venerated Biblical figure and explores the significance of David’s formation in the wilderness as a key to his title as a man after God’s heart.
Concluding this series, Mark looks at the Church as the temple of the Holy Spirit, that when empowered by the Spirit, is an enactor of Christ’s work in the world providing a powerful alternative to the culture of the day.
Looking at God’s Church as the ‘body of Christ’, Mark prompts us to understand our call to live as Jesus did in this world, bridging the gap between heaven and earth.
Examining the vision and purpose of God’s Church, Mark begins by examining the Church as a people, called, set apart and shaped by grace.
Trudi and Daniel explore the challenges and opportunities we face as God's people during Melbourne's lockdown.
Brittany and Sue explore the challenges and opportunities we face as God's people during Melbourne's lockdown.
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a time of disruption? If you are disorientated by the uncertainty of our world, you are not alone. Tom explores what we can learn from the disciples who were called to follow Jesus into the unknown.
Today's times are geared to make us weigh ourselves up against others, which takes its spiritual toll. Andy takes a dive into Scripture to show that this problem is timeless and universal. He offers some biblical perspective on ways to look at ourselves and others.
In the final message of the series, Brittany takes the opportunity to pause and reflect on what influenced these key teachings, the impact that has had on Red’s focus and how it will shape what is to come.
Ryan encourages us to step into going with God. Our 'going' starts with our next yes to Him. Your go is marked by the discipleship posture in your everyday. In creating space to hear from God, boldly stepping in as you listen to God and by going deeper with Him when you stumble, God will leads you into who He is creating you to be.
In this week’s message, Trudi explores the ways in which the Bible reveals we are clothed to ‘go’ with Jesus carrying His fragrance into the world.
While we are limited physically in the ways we can ‘go’ with Jesus, Mark invites us to return to the central call of the gospel and the journey of Red as we position ourselves to take the hope of Jesus to others.
Renewal is providing space for what Jesus wants to speak into our lives. Ryan, along with an interview with Rob Reimer, explores and provides space for us to see where God is doing restoring work in our lives.
Brittany dives into the book of Exodus, inviting us to follow the life of Moses as he walks the pathway of renewal. Moses’ life highlights the wrestles and opportunities we all face as we yield to God’s renewal in our lives
The closing verses of Isaiah 40 illustrate the renewal found in God as our ultimate power source. Mark looks at how this often plays out in the lives of those who follow Jesus as we go deeper in our dependency with him.
In our final week of looking at what it means to abide with Jesus, Brittany explores the practicals of creating a fruitful rhythms in our daily lives. Starting with an interview with Brian Heasley (International Director for 24/7 Prayer Britain) sharing insights from his latest book about quiet times, Brittany then asks questions to help clarify expectations, consider new ideas for abiding and what it means to grow in this key practice of discipleship.
Ryan discusses the fact that our call to abide isn’t a ‘thing’ we go and do, it’s a continuous posture we are being led into. When we live a life marked by abiding with God, we are taken into the very purpose that He has created us for.
As disciples to Jesus, we are called to abide with Him. This is a deep need that He fulfils and it is the place where life is found in abundance. Brittany reminds us that abiding can only happen through Jesus and the gift and power of His grace.
Ryan unpacks the biblical reality that you have been chosen, God has a plan for your life and in following him, God wants to bring His Glory into the world through your life. Abiding with Christ, being renewed by Christ and going with Christ is the walk of a Disciple.
Mark and Liddy sit down with Terry Walling to chat about the transition we are experiencing individually, corporately and globally. Terry brings challenging insights into how to best embrace a transition and what it looks like to move out of one.
Remembering the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, Mark encourages us in the hope that we, as the Church, are made an empowered people by His presence. We are made a people who are shown and commissioned to be in relationship with others through Jesus.
When become the ladder between earth and heaven when we submit to having our identity reshaped by Jesus. This is an ongoing process that sees the false selves we have adopted, renewed to express our true selves in Christ, bringing his Kingdom to those around us.
The risk for many of us in a grey zone is to create comfort zones as places we seek to control our environments – this inhibits our ability to grow in our faith. The invitation, however, is for us to enter greater dependence and hope in Christ and His leading through the chaotic spaces we find ourselves, both individually and as His Church.
This week we examine how our identity is shaped and the hope that comes when we fix our eyes on Jesus. He the one who has made a way for Heaven’s pattern to be renewed in us – reforming an identity shaped and marked by our Heaven and rather than the disorder of the world.
Mark, returning to Genesis 1, highlights that hope originates in heaven. We are shaped by the pattern of heaven through the work of the Spirit here on earth, as He brings form to the unformed chaos.
Mark invites us to consider the struggles in our faith as small crises through which Jesus leads us to walk in greater hope and deeper faith.
Mark begins a new series moving towards pentecost: Rebuilding Hope. Positing that we are in a space between decline and renewal, he unpacks what it could look like to prepare and cry out for renewal in this grey zone space.
This Easter message sees Mark invite us to live, engaging in each moment of our lives, with the faith and trust of people marked by resurrection power.
On Palm Sunday, Mark explores the importance of building faith as a church so that we can release God’s purposes in the world.
As we find ourselves immersed in Jeremiah this Lent, Britt highlights the parallels of what it means to be the people of God in a time of exile, seeking the ancient paths to reform our lives.
As we journey through the disruptions of life, Ryan encourages us to wholeheartedly seek God’s direction and move to re-establish ourselves in Christ.
Britt explores the question of what it means to be marked by the cross. As we move deeper into Lent, we are begin to recognise the ways Jesus may be inviting us to not just grow in our knowledge of Him but our trust in Him.
In our time, with a world filled with the persuasive and disruptive noise of the world, Ryan unpacks how we need to operate like a people in exile, waiting on God and listening for his voice.
Mark challenges us to consider what we are actually invited to do when Jesus calls us to ‘take up our cross and follow him’. It is a life of surrender and obedient discipleship to Jesus, made possible in through the cross.
There are many times during our lives where we enter liminal spaces, cross-roads moments, where the need to heed the leading of God’s voice can be difficult. Mark reminds us of the importance of discernment as we, as a Church, are in one of these spaces presently.
Mark invites us to consider where we place our hope; using this time of transition as an opportunity to recalibrate of our hearts to Jesus and His promise of renewal through is Church.
As we finish our summer series and make steps towards a new year, how do we lift our gaze in anticipation for what is to come? Josh invites us to nudge Jesus who knows our destination to ask for Kingdom signs along the way so we may align our destination with His.
Bethany unpacks the parable of the workers in Matthew 20 to exchange our western paradigm of what we are owed or can create to recognise what we have been given and the ripple effect of accepting God’s generous grace.
Darren encourages us to prepare in anticipation for God’s new thing, to be a people who step out of the comfort of the known to have our convictions reawakened through yielding to the power of the Spirit and in response to the Word.
Hannah prompts us to consider that although the landscape of the world we find ourselves in may have shifted, we as the people of God are invited to have our perspective shaped by hope and walk as abnormal people anticipating life where others may only see death
Alain prayerfully invites us to reimagine this moment of uprooting as an opportunity to be reminded that the seed of God, His Kingdom dream, is not lost but is being re - potted in fertile ground to emerge through His Holy people who yield to His plans and purposes.
In a time of confusing messages, Sarah reminds us of a shepherd who says 'my sheep listen to my voice' and we are equipped to once again tune in to the only voice that matters.
In our second week of Advent, Bjorn reminds us in John 10:10 that Jesus has come to give us life to its fullest, and asks if this has been the case for Christians during the pandemic.
As we enter our first week of Advent, Brittany invites us to reflect on the year through the vantage point of Biblical Hope; choosing to wait in anticipation for the fulfilment of our hope the arrival of Jesus.
Through the account of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles, we are encouraged to seek and be obedient to God in the areas He has given us responsibility.
We are created to be in relationship and through the lens of Ephesians 2, Mark points out that we, as members of God’s household, are built together by the Spirit. Our relationships, when we are moving towards Christ, are equipped to be healthy and life-giving dwelling places of God’s presence in the world.
Further exploring the distinction between, body, soul & spirit, Mark posits that God’s invitation into deep inner reformation happens, not in the soul but in the spirit through the way made by Jesus on the Cross.
In a time of increasing disorientation and apathy, our hearts often align with narratives of self. To be renewed, our hearts must seek and be reformed by the wisdom of the Word and the authority of the Spirit.
Looking back to the reformation, when the bible was returned to the hands of the people, Mark posits that we are at a juncture where in order for renewal to break out, the people of God need to experience a reformation where the Bible is brought back into the hearts of His people.
Jesus calls His Church to be on His mission in the world. This week Mark reminds us of the unique opportunity we and all churches, big and small, have to return to complete dependence on Him and His power to see renewal break out in our cities and nations.
When Jesus invites His followers in Acts 1 to go and be witnesses, we can often heed the call but go about operating out of our own strength. Mark reminds us that in a time when many in our communities are searching for meaning, it is by the power of the Spirit, partnering with God, that we Go with Jesus and be His witnesses.
Renewal of the individual leads to renewal of the church. As we continue to look ahead to ‘The New Normal’, Mark challenges the perceptions we hold about how church ‘should be’. Using Watchman Nee’s paradigm of seeing the self as body, soul and spirit and looking at the account of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), Mark reminds us that when in correct alignment with Jesus, worshipping in ‘spirt and truth’ is less about how you’re worshipping and more about who you are worshipping.
A life abiding with Jesus is marked by continual renewal. Using Rob Reimer’s framework for understanding renewal, Mark reminds us that as we go deeper with Jesus, we become more aware and dependent on Him to lead us out of times of spiritual decline and bondage into renewal.
Mark Sayers, Brittany White, Daniel Murton and Liddy Pickens chat about the challenges, triumphs, surprises and hope encountered as Red Church responded and continue to respond to the twists and turns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Mark explores what it means to Abide with Jesus, we are reminded that abiding begins when we recognise that the ‘old man’ is gone and along with it, a need to strive to be accepted by Him. When Christ claims us as His own, we are made new and wholly welcomed by Him.
Through the framing of what it could look like to emerge from the pandemic, Mark invites us to see that the practices of abiding with Jesus, being renewed by Jesus & going with Jesus are fundamental to shaping a the New Normal of our lives as a people of God.
In a message of hope, Mark reminds us that God is still inviting us to contend for & seek renewal. Even though we are unable to plan in the ways that we imagined, we can take the opportunity to humble ourselves in preparation, abiding with the Father in this transition time between crisis and renewal.
Prayer forms a key part of the message of 2 Chronicles 7:14. With a preface from Sarah, Trudi then explores the ways in which a prayerful life is founded in the Father’s love. Seeking the Father’s face through mediation on the word and in prayer drives our prayer lives for the world around us.
When it comes to seeking Him and breakthrough in our land, the number one key is humility. In this message we unpack what humility is and why it is so important to God. We look at the backdrop of both the current realities in the world and also the historic identity and purpose placed over Australia. We are reminded of a God who wants to move and we are quickened to get ready.
Diving into an old testament promise from 2 Chronicles 7, we explore the various ways in which God has partnered with His people to bring renewal on the earth. We are in such a time and this introduction sets the scene biblically and historically to remind us of an incredible God who can and wants to move.
Culminating The Unveiling series, Mark examines the letter to the church in Laodicea. The letter reminding us that the gospel of Jesus is one that results in deep conviction, passion and zeal – it is life transforming. Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, his presence wanting to some in to do this transforming work in us.
When we experience a loss of control, we can often turn to fear rather than God. Through the example of the letter to the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-23) we learn that when we find hope and strength in anyone or anything other than God, we open ourselves up to being bound to those who are in opposition God. Mark encourages us to return to God, to repent and persist in seeking his voice for the renewal of ourselves and His Church.
Today we unpack the reality of the battle between light and darkness. Through the letter to the church in Pergamum we discover the significance of our lives, choices and daily behaviours that can help open or close the door to darkness or light. We ultimately discover the significance of the era we are in as we witness a tremendous transition from an earth cloaked in darkness to an earth bathed in light.
Continuing in Revelation 2 with the letter to Smyrna, a church experiencing pressure and persecution, Mark reminds us that we can faithfully walk in the way of Christ even in times of great pressure. With the promise of His presence we are transformed, through pressure, to carriers of His renewal.
This week Sarah continues our series on Revelation and explores the letter to the Ephesians. This is a potent and important letter that speaks to us in this moment and helps explain why God has us personally and collectively in a crucible of sorts. We discover that in the next season of the Church our doing will come out of our being.
Our current invitation, highlighted through Mark’s exploration of Revelation, is to heed the challenges of this time of transition in partnership with Jesus. Aligning our will with His, to see the Church thrive and the Kingdom of Heaven extended on earth.
Through the opening of the book of Revelation, Jesus is revealed as both imminent and transcendent. Mark reminds us that as we recognise Jesus in this tension, we see Him in His fullness, both as one who judges and one who saves – one who brings heaven down to earth.
Beginning a new sub-series, Mark establishes a context from which we can begin to understand the book of Revelation and the invitation it offers to see reality anew through Jesus.
The tension of living a spiritual perspective in a human reality is real. Whilst we 'believe' in Jesus, his death, resurrection and rule, it can be hard to know how to live it out, now. By looking at the book of Ephesians, this message lifts the lid on the unseen reality and shows us how to practically put one foot in front of the other in the every-day realities of life.
Examining the beginning of Ephesians 2, Mark identifies that as Jesus ascended so did we, abandoning self-focus and stepping into the freedom of self-forgetfulness for God’s glory.
As we celebrate Pentecost in a context like we’ve not experienced before, we are reminded that Spirit comes to give life and make holy, that which has been disrupted, destroyed and formless.
Acts 1 tells of Jesus’ ascension. In His ascension, Jesus reveals not only His full identity and mission but, by extension, both our true identity and mission is established.
Everyone of us experiences shame and sometimes it can cut so deep we have either consciously or subconsciously disqualified ourselves from participating in God's work. Sarah brings us to a tremendous grace and hope by showing us both the normality of shame and the power of the resurrection. Through the life of Peter we see a man encountering the deepest level of shame only to become the man whom God used powerfully to kick start His Church.
Jesus revealed himself to Mary after His resurrection in John 20, during this in-between time, Mark suggests that we too have the opportunity to seek, receive and step into a new revelation of who Jesus is and what He is inviting us into.
As we reflect on the in-between the time of the cross and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, we are called to have the agony of the cross shape us in order for the Spirit to flow through us.
In order to come back stronger, we must first acknowledge our weaknesses and deep need for Christ by abiding in Him.
Mark chats with Terry Walling about how God is active and inviting us to go deeper in our dependence on Him during crisis and transition.
Entering Holy Week, Mark reminds us that much of the account of Jesus’ final week took place in the night. The invitation to journey with Jesus into the night is to step away from present fears, the ways of the crowd and encounter the light of God’s presence.
Likening the world’s current state to ‘the night’, Mark asks us to consider what is happening spiritually and how can we join God in it.
As the people of God, we are being called to advance spiritually. Mark explores what this looks like in the reality of our time through Moses’ leading in the wilderness (Exodus 17), Psalm 1’s account of flourishing and the life and ongoing legacy of St Patrick.
As we are dispersed to gather in homes, Mark reminds us that renewals often emerge through crisis. Reflecting on Hosea 2, Mark commissions us to be the church as we are lead into the wilderness of a new kind.
Examining Jesus’ trials in the wilderness reveals that the tests and temptations we face as humans are barometers of the human heart. As Mark unpacks the nature of temptation, he reminds that Jesus places Himself at the centre of our tests through what He did on the cross.
As we step into Lent, the approach to Easter forces us to grapple with the reality and nature of sin. Mark invites us to heed the Spirit’s call to break up the ground of our hardened hearts through the act of repentance.
As we begin Lent this coming week, Mark explores Song of Songs 2 and the picture it paints of God who pursues His people with a love that stops us in our tracks. This passage reinforcing that we seek Him because he first sought us.
John Mark Comer invites us to dive into the beauty and depth of Psalm 24, joining the generations from the past, to be a people who earnestly seek God’s face and delight in being in His presence.
Throughout the Biblical narrative the people of God are invited into places of exchange; this is still the reality for those who follow Jesus today. As living temples, God calls us to bring our whole lives to the alter in exchange for His glory, vision and Kingdom purposes.
Starting in the book of Haggai, Mark directs our attention to the call on the Church to rebuild spiritual culture through chasing after His presence. In His presence we are stirred and we encounter home in life with Him.
Brittany invites us to step into the story of blind Bartimaeus, to be reminded of Jesus’ heart to impart His vision; allowing ourselves to be seen by the King so that we may see the Kingdom.
The vision God holds of the world, His church and each individual, is the vision He offers to us through revelation, prophesy and spiritual sight. Mark reminds us that when the eyes of our heart are enlightened by God’s vision; there is hope, deeper intimacy with Jesus and the Church grows in walking the way of the Kingdom.
Ryan unpacks how the knowledge of who God can develop a faith which enables us to step out boldly following God with our lives.
Brittany explores Luke 15, inviting us to enter the story of the Prodigal Son and allow it to take us home to the Father’s presence, not just to be with Him but to become like Him.
The characters of the nativity story act as forerunners, pointing forward to the new king and his kingdom.
This week Sarah finishes our series looking at counter-cultural mission. We expose how there is an enchantment over the land and whilst fog and confusion has descended upon us the clarity and call of God is as clear as it has ever been. We are reminded of the passion and love God has for His creation, that He refuses to let this be the story and He is awakening us as His messengers.
God deeply cares about your vocation. Did you know that over 90% of Jesus public appearances were in the marketplace? And that 87% of his parables had a work-based framework? God loves work! This week we unpack this concept detailing what it means to live out your discipleship in the context of work. With live examples, we are reminded of the variety of ways He brings His Kingdom to the world and the privilege we have to participate with Him as He does this.
Resilient disciples prioritise relationships, community and belonging rather than submitting to culture’s tenet of idolising personal autonomy. Mark, through Ephesians 4, highlights that when we draw close to Christ, we learn to operate out of the new self – this posture demands we look beyond ourselves. It cultivates meaningful relationships and community; illuminating Christ's presence in and through us.
Resilient disciples are able to observe culture and orient themselves through abiding in the word and spirit. Mark continues in the book of Daniel, illuminating the ways in which Daniel was able to bless those that marginalised him by operating in wisdom and discernment that came from abiding in God alone.
Resilient disciples are marked by a posture of resolve; a resolve that sees us seek, reside and flourish in intimacy with Jesus. Mark explores this alongside Daniel 1 which details an individual who, in the face of cultural coercion, resolves to follow God’s way.
Opening our series, Faith for Exiles, Mark posits that we are at a threshold moment where the church, both locally and globally, must step into living as resilient disciples. In light of both the Barna group’s research into faith and culture and the story of David and Goliath, Mark reminds us of the hope we have in a God who bigger than the giants of our time.
Facing rejection and grief Jesus retreats from the busyness of his work to find a quiet place to be alone. When he gets there he's faced, not by silence, but by need.
What can we as modern disciples of Jesus learn from one strange story of how Jesus turns a little bit of food into a lot more?
Brittany explores James 1 & the idea that our circumstances are the meeting place of Jesus, where are lives are transformed from brokenness to beauty.
As the world’s energy resources are an increasing cause of riots and chaos across nations, so too are our hearts when our energy and security is found in anything other than the ultimate power source – God’s presence.
Psalm 77 opens with the Psalmist in lament and chaos but a turning point sees the psalmist turn to praise. Mark invites us to see that renewal of our often chaotic inner worlds requires us to stop, turn and allow God to fight our battles as we praise and remember Him for who He is and what he does.
This week we dwell in Isaiah 55 looking at it from both the context of exile and also today’s physical and spiritual drought that has hit Australia.
We are reminded of God’s heart and God’s sovereignty, his beckoning for people to return to Him and how He works wonders turning a super drought into a super bloom.
In order to become resilient disciples in this culture, Mark reminds us that we are called to be people who carry the word in our hearts, to encounter the revelation of Jesus daily through the living and active word and to dwell in its life and truth.
As we continue to delve into the theme of seeds and gardens, Sarah unpacks our current cultural situation and introduces us to the Desert Fathers and age old practices that have enabled seeds to germinate, harvests to be reaped and cultures to be transformed throughout history.
Seeds hold identity and promise of growth and multiplication. In a time where everything is immediate and life’s pace is frenetic, Mark invites us to consider the metaphor of the seed in how God transports His plans for renewal across space and time.
It turns out that just as there is a process in the created order, there is a process in how God develops our identity and prepares us for a fruitful life. This week we explore one of Jesus' greatest statements regarding this and unpack the ways in which He is at work within us, both as individuals as well as corporately, as He prepares us for a new season.
Just as the anointing passed from Saul to David, an unknown man but one who was 'after God's own heart', Mark reminds us that God is still looking for people who are aligning with His heart in the hidden places – calling and forming them to be part of the 'new thing' that He is doing.
This week Sarah explores how the human condition is plagued by both pride and self-hatred. Revealing the genesis of this we are also reminded of the antidote that is available to us now as we learn from Jesus and his easier yet world-changing way.
Through clarifying Old and New Testament perspectives of prophecy, Mark sets out practical steps in how to grow and operate in the prophetic for the building of the church and glorifying of Jesus.
AM service pastor, Ryan, unpacks the misconceptions around how to share your faith with others and the reality that, the way we choose to operate inside the church will become how we live outside the church.
The people of God are called to be a community of blessing. When we bless others, we walk in the opposite spirit, aligning our hearts, minds and lives with God's Kingdom reality.
Brittany reminds us of God’s desire to manifest himself to us every day & explores what it looks like to create space to listen for His whisper.
In an age of unrelenting distraction, we are invited to the counter-cultural posture of worship; where our time is recaptured, our vision for God’s kingdom is built and atmospheres are changed.
Ryan discusses how our normal mode of operation as ‘Ordinary Christians’ is to be walking in the power of the presence which is born from our personal relationship with God.
When God gives us vision, we are called to step in, in obedience, to Kingdom living. This life is a life of adventure where Heaven and Earth are united and funded by generosity.
In opening our new series: More Than Me: Every Day, we are reminded that we are not just called to follow Jesus but, with the Holy Spirit, we can minister like him. We take His presence out into the world to minister in compassion, mercy and goodness.
We take ground for the Kingdom when we operate in the opposite spirit; embracing heaven's truth, speaking heaven's words and worshipping heaven's way. Our bodies and lives, when sacrificed to Holy Spirit, enable Heaven to be released on Earth.
At Pentecost the Spirit came bringing new life out of the raw material of humanity; birthing a new creation, a new kind of human and a new church.
This week, Brittany reminds us that we have met and know Holy Spirit yet there is more we are seeking and more to discover as we ask to be filled once again and return to our first love of Jesus and encounter the affirming love of the Father.
This week Bjorn looks at some of the blockages that can put the handbrakes on us receiving more of the Holy Spirit.
This week Sarah explores God’s heart for His Church and that He is not after a few anointed individuals, He is after an anointed Church. Looking through the prism of the body, we see how each and every person has a vital part to play. There is a slight twist at the end as we are invited into a specific posture to heed the work the Spirit is doing amongst us.
Jo Evans explores the moment of encounter when Jacob wrestles with God at Penial and the postures required by those seeking God for more.
Sarah commences our new series exploring the Holy Spirit and sets the scene regarding the vitality behind the Holy Spirit's heart and role to us as a Church. Whilst exploring the various extremes that can come into play we are reminded of a thirst we have for MORE and the God behind the thirst who longs to give us more.
Jacob's dream of a thin place where Heaven and Earth again unite is answered and magnificently expanded in the resurrection of Jesus.
As we reflect on the final week of Christ’s life, Sarah focuses on the Submission of our King, the extraordinary act it was and the way in which it opens up a whole new way of life for each of us as we seek to be restored and to follow Him.
AM service Pastor, Ryan, unpacks how the direction you fix your eyes will define the course of your life. Through examining the Apostle Paul’s words, we see a clear call to set a direction which leads us towards unity with the power and presence of God.
Brittany explores Isaiah 43 as it reveals and uncovers the ways God desires to forge new pathways for his presence in unexpected places.
Where the West separates knowledge and beliefs, Jesus invites us to live the life of the Kingdom, where the two, ‘mind and heart are inextricably linked’. The spiritual knowledge of God’s Kingdom is discovered when you commit to it, seek it and dwell in it.
This week Bjorn looks at the high cost of discipleship. However, this is something to celebrate as we pray and fast through lent.
As we fast and pray during Lent, the hunger of our body and spirit is for what is lost. We ache for Eden where God’s righteousness reigned. In Luke’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, Jesus demonstrates how to walk in the opposite spirit when we are met with trials and temptations, even when we are at our most vulnerable. Mark encourages us to walk in the opposite spirit because it is not just about us as individuals but it is about interceding on behalf of our broken world.
Drawing the four week series to a close, Joshua Butler reminds us that there is an 'organic unity to the human race', that we are not only created 'for one another but from one another'. When we pursue holiness, we invite the temple presence of God to return to humanity.
The information we acquire, the experiences we gain, the things we consume, the people we are surrounded by, all fill the vessel of our inner lives. Whatever we fill our hearts with will overflow from us.
Mark shares Joel 2's image of lives overflowing with new wine and grain, enough to satisfy, which is poured out when God's people consecrate their lives to Him and His purposes. As we approach the season of Lent, the invitation is to seek the Spirit as the primary input in our lives through a posture of 'serious prayer' and fasting.
This week Sarah takes us through the History of Red, not in the hum-drum kind of way, but in that compelling way that shows us the finger prints of God, where He has been, what He has been doing and how it all points to what He is asking of us as we move forward into our future. At risk of sounding like a book endorsement, this is a must listen to anyone who calls (or is looking to call) Red home.
In our time of countless distractions that can lead us to despair or destruction, the Word consistently points us to adopt a posture of praise. Mark reminds us that worship is focus. It demands our heart, mind and thoughts are all directed in praise to God. As our focus is reoriented to Christ in praise, we become more like He who we gaze upon.
Unpacking the current disconnect in Western society between the spiritual and physical, Mark reminds us of the message of 1 Peter 2 that we are 'living stones' being built into a 'spiritual house'. As the church and disciples of Jesus, we are invited to be living as a bridge between heaven and earth.
God’s call for this generation to Come Alive!
Transformed by His love to be a people whose lives paint this city with colour, light, joy & hope, leaving Kingdom trails in their wake.
AM service Pastor Ryan unpacks the propensity of the human heart to trust either in our own strength or on the tangible things of this world.
In looking ahead to what God has in store for 2019 - the encouragement is to focus only on God so we can experience a Church marked by followers of Jesus leading flourishing and meaningful lives
God saves us to change us. Sweeping us up into his plans to reshape us in Christlikeness. In this teaching Mark, through exploring the life of Moses, shows us how God works in our lives – changing and remaking us.
Britt invites us to step into the Psalms, to dwell, seek and find wisdom for faith and life. Reclaiming and reminding us that the prayers, poems and songs found in those pages are designed to be our own as we proclaim God’s Kingdom, here and now, as the people of God have done for generations.
Bjorn discusses Paul the Apostle’s instructions to be ‘joyful always’ as followers of Jesus, and how this can be a testimony to a western culture that desperately needs joy.
Apprentice minister Ryan unpacks what biblical success looks like and how to posture ourselves for God's growth, in our lives, this year.
After reading from Luke 2, Mark explores why the birth of Jesus isn't the end of the story. The Christmas story, he suggests, reveals to us that God is a God of process and each of us, as followers of Christ, are participants in His work of construction.
Ryan unpacks the Isaiah 60 promise of God that His light will rise over His gathered people, and how we are called to reflect that Glory in both the miraculous and the mundane.
Brittany explores Isaiah 6 as it reminds us of the call for every generation to return to the King to be awoken to see, hear & understand the hope that He brings.
This week Bjorn looks at our first reading for Advent 2018, where the Apostle Paul calls us to wake up from our slumber, because the King here and the King is coming again.
Reflecting on a St Iraneus quote ‘The Glory of God is man fully alive,’ Sarah takes us through the biblical concept of worship, idols and the glory of God.
Narrowing in on today’s biggest idol, she gives us Christ’s keys to freedom and releases us to be his true image bearers
This week Mark unpacks how our world is built on a myth of scarcity. Steven Covey says, "Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though they were only one pie out there".
This week Mark highlights that the contemporary culture directs us to avoid trails and tests in our lives. However as James 1: 2-4 teaches us we are to find joy through the perseverance of these trials as it builds and shapes our character to be more like Jesus.
In this podcast Sarah takes us through the book of 1 Samuel, inviting us to see life and faith through the lens of David. Whilst this sounds nice and biblical of us, all too often we posture ourselves like Saul living lives shaped by fear. Whilst this is the human default it costs us the new beginnings that God is wanting us to enter. The Church in the west is in a threshold moment and 1 Samuel gives us vital lessons on how to enter and embrace what God is inviting us into.
In this message, Sarah unpacks Proverbs 3:5-8 and shows us how there are two ways to live; depending on God or depending on self. She invites us afresh to trust God, to cry out to Him and to run away from evil.
This week, as we wrap up our sermon series: New Wine/Contending for Renewal, Ryan speaks about contending through our conversations and how the basis of our conversation with God will lead you to conversations with others.
At our Mid-East AM Service, Trudi Sayers shares a story of two elderly women from a small island north of Scotland faithfully prayed for God's glory to be filled in their village and through their faithfulness, God spoke. As they gathered their minister and patrons, they committed to contending in prayer twice a week from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am. This resulted in one of the biggest revivals where people encountered the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, to which people in across the Isle, in fields, fishing boats cried out to God to save them. Through this inspiring story, Trudi shares on what contending prayer looks like and encourages us to be contending for our church, city and nation.
Donald G. Mostrom says "We are healthy in the deepest and widest sense of that word, only if we are in fellowship with our God. Like an intricate machine designed for a particular use, but used for something else, we break down in a variety of ways when not functioning with God." This week Mark speaks about renewing our purpose and promise through fellowship with God and through His presence in our lives
At our Mid-East AM service, we are week 2 into our new sermon series: New Wine/ Contending for Renewal. If we are to contend for renewal, we are contending for transformation. Bjorn Irani speaks about when we contend and create a space for God to transform our hearts in all areas of our lives the head follows, enabling us to have a deeper knowledge of God's work in our lives.
John 15:5 says " I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing. At our Mid-East AM Service Mark kicks off a new sermon series: New Wine - Contending for Renewal. He calls us to move from consuming to contending and teaches us five ways to do this.