Bowen Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Bowen Baptist Church
This week we explore the breakdown in communication between several of the tribes of Israel and how it nearly led to war. But through pausing, patience and better communication things work out so much better.
This week Andrew explores God's provision of cities of Refuge for his people, and how that reflects for us that God is himself, our refuge
This week we look at the legacy of Caleb and his faith-filled following of God throughout his life. We see that in every situation God has a plan, He will provide and he is faithful to His promises.
This week as we jump back into the book of Joshua we deal with the difficult passage of the conquest of Canaan. In it we see God's instructions and Israel's extermination of the inhabitants. As we do we ask the question - If God has commanded all this and indeed fights for Israel in these battles, can he really be good? Come with us as we learn of God's amazing grace and mercy that was available not only to Israel, but also to the inhabitants of Canaan.
This week Glen brings to a close our series examining Paul's letter to Titus. Looking at chapter 3, Glen will challenge us to consider if as we look to God’s word, it’s reflection is pointing at us or the problems we see in others. Bowen Baptist Church
This week we continue our short series examining Paul's letter to Titus. Pastor Zane will unpack chapter 2, exploring the challenges of living out our faith with so many competing influences. Ultimately asking the questions – who will we serve? Bowen Baptist Church
This week we begin a short series examining Paul’s letter to Titus. We will explore the challenges faced by many of the early churches, especially those on the iland of Crete and look to Paul's teaching on how to respond to them through Godly leadership and also by taking a cautious approach to the influences we allow into our own lives.
This week we look at the problems that permeate the church of God today as it did in Jesus time. Many come professing to believe, but simply believing is not the same as following Jesus, surrendering to Jesus.
Join us as we unpack what it means to follow Jesus, to count the true cost of Salvation and to Abide in Him, in His word and in His love.
This week Pastor Zane looksa at Israeled failed attempt to take the city of AI following their victory at Jericho. He poses the question of what must we do in following God's ways? and How must we do it?
This week we see in Israels first major military challenge in the Promised Land that the promises, faithfulness and wonder of God echos from the very beginning of Creation, through Abraham and Moses to Israel here and for us today as well.
This week we look at Israel's priorities when they first enter into the Promised Land and also unpack a very interesting encounter Joshua has with a mysterious man outside Jericho
This week we look at the story of Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho and we see that even though she is not a part of Israel, through her confession of faith in the God of Israel, she finds salvation.
This last episode in this series we unpack the incredible promises of God as he sends us to the people in our land - The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit
This week we explore the tension between being the Called Church of God and being the Sent Church of God
This week we conclude our heart matters series looking at Romans 12. With yet another encouragement to love one another Paul begins by refocusing our faith on pursing Jesus in our lives, living in the body and serving the body through the gifts of the Spirit and enduring life in a broken world, ravaged by sin for the sake of the lost by holding fast to our hope in Christ and living with Love abundantly and lavishly.
This week we return to Paul's letter to the Galatians in Chapter 5 and see how distractions can lead us away from loving one another. Paul's encouragement is to continue to love one another through serving one another.
This week we look to Paul's letter to the Galatians and how as the Family of God we bear one another's burdens.
This week we look at Jesus '"New Commandment to his disciple. We see that it is simple, yet not easy. We also examine how like Peter sometimes we resist the simple obedience because we passionately feel we know best. But ultimately what matters most is to Simply Choose Love.
This week we look at what it means to fear God. As we explore this topic we'll see that the "fear of the Lord" doesn't leave us frozen and distant from God. Instead it drives us to carefully draw nearer to Him. Instead of defining our faith by rushing to answers and ideas that are familiar, comfortable and ours, with fear, reverence and respect we approach God humbly to seek his will, His ways, His word and His Love.
This week we unpack "Justice" and "Forgiveness". What is Justice God's way? What is it that God desires in justice? What is forgiveness? What motivates forgiveness? What does forgiveness achieve? and what happens when we don't forgive?
This week we examine God's heart, His desire to have a relationship with mankind, His desire for us to find redemption and reconciliation with him and to also be his agents of hope and love to a world that is hopelessly lost and broken. To pursue this heart of God, we, ourselves, need to allow God to change our hearts, soften our hearts so that we have love for one another.
This week we explore our heart reaction when life is tough - when we ask the question "Where are you God?" Are we really asking the question? Are we making an accusation against God? Is our heart drawn to know God's ways, or do we reveal within ourselves a desire for God to bend to our desires, our perspective and our will? Our Heart attitudes and responses matter - will yours draw you to God's ways?
This week as we see how the exiles had become distracted from their covenant relationship with God and had become just like all the other nations around them. We explore what it means for us today as followers of Jesus to move from distraction to devotion.
This week as we begin in Nehemiah, we see that God's plans are bigger than we can imagine; that we are a part of God's plans; and our part is simple - tune our hearts to God's heart and make God's plans our plans
This week we delve into the challenges faced when the issue of Divorce. What does God say about divorce and How should we see Marriage and Divorce through God's eyes?
This week we come to the end of the book of Ezra and explore the challenges faced when the priorities in our lives become unequally yoked with our relationship with God. We ask the question when should we compromise and when shouldn't we compromise?
This week we look at who Ezra is, where his passion lies and how even in impossible situations, God has a plan and he makes a way
This week we continue in Ezra chapters 4-6. We see that even though the returned exiles are following God's plan, they face stiff opposition. At the heart of it all is their conviction to follow God and this is our challenge too. In chapter 5 verse 11 in their response to the opposition to their work they declare "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished." This too becomes our challenge, as we seek the transformation and rebuilding of the temple of the Holy Spirit within our lives.
This week we begin in Ezra chapter 1 and see how when God has a plan, He Provides the way.
This week we examine the background to the exile into Babylon, how it was different to the Assyrian conquest of the Norther kingdom of Israel and what God's intentions in exiling some of the people of Judah into Babylon was.
In this the last episode of our Kingdom Living series we examine the foundations of our faith and explore whether our faith is built on the sand or on the rock. What does it mean to build our foundations on the rock? what does it look like to live out our faith with solid and firm foundations?
In this the second last episode of our Kingdom Living series we look to the challenge of Jesus in what it really takes to follow Him. For many people who consider themselves Christians, Jesus challenges us to be more than simply an enthusiastic fan. As we examine our hearts and relationship with Jesus, we seek to reflect and define what our relationship with him really is - is it one of causal comfort, or radical transformation?
This week we look at how Jesus teaches us to measure the trustworthiness of the teaching and information we follow. We look at how this applies not only to our faith and understanding the bible, but to all aspects of our lives. We also come to reflect on how our words and actions measure up to these tests when we consider how we teach and influence others through our relationships and also online.
This week we look at Jesus teaching about the narrow way and the wide way. The narrow way is hard, marked with tribulation and difficult to follow. We examine why this is the case, even for Christians and how we can follow Jesus through this narrow way that leads to life. Our prayer is that God would lead us in His ways, lead us in His Love and lead us in our lives.
This week we come to Matthew chapter 7. Jesus challenges us to consider the way we measure our own righteousness. He tells us to not judge others, but instead focus on growing our own righteousness. The balance Jesus brings is to not simply believe and trust everything but to be discerning. Jesus finishes off the passage by demonstrating how we do all of this - through prayer, seeking all of the things Jesus has called us to pursue thus far in his sermon - God’s righteousness, humility, compassion, gentleness and love.
This week we’re challenged to examine the things in our lives which we treasure most be it our goals, possessions or even western values. We look at when these things which can be good, become problems and what it means to “seek, first His Kingdom” by slowing down, listening more and waiting upon the Lord.
This week we come to the middle of Jesus Sermon on the mount. We're reminded how the way we live out our faith is often shaped by our need to be recognised, to gain the approval of others and our need to shift the focus of our Christianity to be about ourselves. Instead Jesus reminds us that being a Christian is about God's glory and His kingdom and the best way for us to live out our faith is to keep Jesus at the centre.
As Christians, as followers of Jesus, God’s law is not just a part of our faith, it is right at the centre of it. God’s law reveals to us His goodness, His righteousness, His Holiness but also His love, His grace and Mercy and His justice. This week we explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus and what it means to engage with the heart of the Law.
Paul tells us that the Law exposes our sinfulness. In fulfilling the Law, Jesus frees us from the burden of the law, not so we can ignore it, but so that we can engage freely with the heart of the law.
This week we look at Jesus encouragement to ensure that our faith is not diluted, hidden but instead fed continually and placed where it may shine as a witness to God’s glory and His Kingdom.
This first message is titled – A portrait of Kingdom living. As we look at what are commonly referred to as the Beatitudes we don’t simply see a list of things we should be doing or attitudes we are supposed to have – we see the brush strokes of A portrait of the kingdom of heaven being painted before us, a description of what it’s like to live in the kingdom of heaven.
This week we come to the end of our series looking at the life of Joseph and as we do we take in all we have seen throughout Joseph’s life and what it teaches us about God. We see God is a God of promise, God has a plan and God has purposed Joseph to be part of that plan.
In this week’s message we see how Joseph chose to look on his circumstance not from the bottom of the pit, but instead with God’s eternal perspective. He weighed and measured all his experiences balanced against God’s plan for the salvation of his people, his family and God’s ultimate plan for eternity.
In this week’s message we examine the link between authority and responsibility and how that works out in God’s plan. We see in Joseph’s example the importance of how we enact the responsibility God has given us through Jesus to make disciples - It’s not just what we do, but also how we do it!
In this week’s message we look at how Joseph put aside his hurt, frustration, resentment and bitterness and how God’s glory is seen and his plan is at work through Joseph to influence Egypt and beyond
In this week’s message we look at how Joseph endured being forgotten in a seemingly endless time in prison and leaned on God despite not knowing how God’s plan would work out.
In this week’s message we look at how and why Joseph resisted temptation and the example and encouragement we can apply to our own lives
This is the first in our series looking at the life of Joseph, God’s plan for him and seeing how we too can trust in God’s greater plan for us and His Kingdom