South West Baptist Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
South West Baptist Church
At South West Baptist Church, we’re all about redemptive communities and lifelong followers of Jesus. We are inspired by our long-held vision statement:
“To be a redemptive community, sharing the love of Christ in the world, by word, sign and deed; helping people become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.”
We value: love for God, ourselves, each other and the world.
Otautahi, Aotearoa (Christchurch, New Zelaand)
A case of sexual immorality in the Corinthian church is the catalyst for Paul to upbraid the Corinthians for allowing the surrounding culture and its values to influence them more than Jesus - the one who died and rose for them. Paul reminds them of Jesus's call to live by the power of his Spirit as a counter-cultural contrast community.
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians continues with some harsh words for the Corinthians about their pride and arrogance and the need for them to take on and cultivate the humility of Christ.
We are the body of Christ on earth and yet often we are so divided. Sam Young continues our series on Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church with a look at what is needed for us to united as one body.
In the next of our series, Erin White shares the difference between Godly and Wordly wisdom and how Paul challenges us to live in light of God's wisdom.
Jo Robertson explores the idea of the foolishness and scandal of the cross, and poses the question : are we willing to follow the Crucified Christ?
Week 2 of our 1 Corinthians series sees Sam Young discussing Paul's disappointment with the divisions among the Corinthian Christians' and reminds them that the only one that we are all called to follow is Jesus.
Who were the Corinthians? Why did Paul write to them? What did he say to them? And what does this 2,000-year-old message have to say to us? Sam Young begins our series on this letter of scripture by introducing us to the Corinthians and what Paul had to say to them and why.
Erin White brings our series on Jeremiah to a close, taking from the final chapter of the book message of hope we find in God's promises that he will always remain faithful to his people and rescue them - a promised hope that was finally fully fulfilled in Jesus.
What are God's people to do while in exile? How are they supposed to live? What should they do as God's people? Steve Withington shows us what God said to his people in exile through Jeremiah and how they were to "seek the welfare of the city."
Examining the confrontation between God's prophet Jeremiah and the false prophet Hananiah, Sandy Hector discusses how we hear God's voice and truly and accurately discern what he is saying to us.
Amelia Smith looks at the messages of Jeremiah and Hananiah - the one with a hard but real message from God, the other with an easy message of false comfort.
God told Jeremiah he was going to pour out his cup of Wrath upon the nations. Sam Young investigates what this means, specifically: How can a loving, compassionate, patient God act in such a way that seems to contradict his very nature?
Jo Robertson and Sam Young team up on this Pentecost weekend to look at God's promises to Israel, even in exile, and his promise to be with them and deliver them.
Our journey through Jeremiah continues as Amelia Smith shares with us Jeremiah's call to draw people back to God relationally, and back to God's mission of justice and peace. At the centre of this text is the prophet's (and God's) warning about how Israel had exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols and the destruction they will surely follow if the Israelites do not turn back to God.
John Robertson begins our journey through the book of Jeremiah, beginning with God's calling of the prophet, the tasks God set for him, and stresses the vital importance of God's people being agents of hope and change and rescue in our troubled world today.
Duane Major takes us through Psalm 116, in particular our need to heed the psalmist's call to "return to your rest, my soul."
Our Lent series continues with Jesus in Gethsemane, wrestling with himself and his impending sacrifice. Jo Robertson looks at the wrestle between the human side of Jesus and the divine and how these two sides come together to see the purpose of God come into being.
Our Lent series continues with a look how to live a life of service to others, through the example of Jesus washing his disciples' feet.
Duane Major takes us through Jesus's encounter with the rich young ruler and the barrier that wealth was to this young ruler to following Jesus further.
For our "All In" Lent service Erin, Jesse and Andy take us through the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, looking at the three lies Satan tried to convince Jesus of and how we can resist succumbing to those same lies.
Alex Absalom preaches from the story of the blind man Bartimaeus and what we can learn about being audacious, persisting, pushing on and being obedient.
Duane Major begins Lent by introducing our series on "From Death to Life" with the episode of Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist. Starting with his baptism, we see how Jesus's life is a model - a life-long model - for our discipleship transformation from Death to Life.
Erin White brings the message for our "All-in" service, about Moses confronting Pharaoh and demanding the Israelites' release - and the plagues that hit the Egyptians when Pharoah refuses to heed God's message.
We continue through the book of Exodus, moving onto the second part of our series looking at "Following God into Freedom." Moses goes before Pharaoh demanding that he set the Israelites free. Claire Russell looks at the importance - and implications - of speaking truth to power.
God heard the cries of his people and called Moses to go and rescue them. Moses said no....several times, giving several excuses. God sent him anyway. Amelia Smith examines Moses's responses and explains how Moses was looking at things the wrong way. It's not about what Moses can't do but about what God can do.
Concluding our Global Week, Duane Major returns to the passage in Exodus where God appeared to Moses and uses it to look back over the previous week's message to challenge us and question us about how we are going to respond to what God is saying to us.
Jo Robertson begins our series on Exodus with a look at the way God hears the cries of his people and uses ordinary people to transform the world.
Amelia Smith concludes our Te Paipera Tapu series by leading us through the importance of the Prophetic books and how best to read them.
Our series continues as Amelia Smith shares her wisdom on the nature of the bible's wisdom literature and its importance for us.
How do we read the laws and commands contained in the Hebrew bible? And why should we continue to do so today, 3,000 years later. Sam Young explains why these laws still have much to teach about both the wisdom of God and the love of God.
Continuing our series on the bible, Te Paipera Tapu, Sam Young examines the genre of narrative through the lens of the story of Gideon, looking at common mistakes we can make when reading narratives and what to do to avoid them.
Our Te Paipera Tapu series continues as Amelia Smith shows us the entire scope of scripture, leading us through the entire story of the bible, from first page to last.
Our new series on the bible, and how to read it effectively, opens with Sam Young looking at what Jesus's attitude towards scripture was.
Our songwriting team brings our Psalms series to a close by sharing several songs they have written while reflecting on the Psalms.
Sam Young continues our Psalms series with Psalm 73, looking at the doubts we can sometimes have about God, and uses the psalm as a guide to how we can address these doubts.
Jo Robertson looks at the hope we have, how we can always be completely honest and open with God about our feelings and circumstances, and the way Jesus was the ultimate expression of the hope we have in God.
Sam Young brings our Acts of Jesus series to a close by sharing how the book of Acts, despite ending with Paul under house arrest and no mention of his ultimate fate, ends perfectly as a record of the powerful acts of the Holy Spirit, and a promise that the Spirit is with us still.
Amelia Smith shares about the freedom Jesus can bring people and our role in bringing it by looking at three very different encounters Paul and Silas had with three very different people that resulted in freedom.
Erin White introduces us to Saul, zealous Pharisee, and persecutor of the church - and tells us about the life-changing encounter he had with Jesus that completely transformed him and altered the entire direction of his life.
Things weren't always easy for the early church. Today Claire Russell looks at what we can do when we face opposition, and the importance of discerning where opposition is coming from and what it means.
Duane Major continues our Acts of Jesus series with a look at the early church and how they were (and we continue to be) the body of Christ on earth. What does that mean in reality for us today?
This is the first in a new series looking at what we are calling the “Acts of Jesus” – all about the book of Acts. This is about what happened to his followers after Jesus ascended to heaven. We begin with Jesus's ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
We bring our 2025 Easter series to a close with a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Sam Young leads us through Good Friday by looking at the Jesus the Son of God and Jesus Barabbas, one innocent, one guilty, one executed, one set free, and asks whose side are we on?
As we enter the week leading up to Easter, Duane Major takes us to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prays and agonises, and the disciples face the temptation to turn away and fall asleep rather than comfort and support their friend - the type of temptation we all face at some point.
We move from betrayal to denial. After vehemently protesting he would ever deny Jesus, Peter proceeds to do just that not once, not twice, but three times. Amelia Smith shows us how Peter's Easter experience is a mirror of the very rhythm of life and creation that we all experience.
Amelia Smith continues our Innocent series with a look at the person of Judas and the reasons why despite everything he saw and heard of Jesus, he still betrayed him.
In the lead up to Easter this year we are walking through the week leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection, focusing on the experiences of the ‘innocent Jesus’ through this final week. To open this series we begin with the questions with which the religious leaders tried to trap him.
Jo Robertson brings our series on Jesus's Call to Community to an end with a look at how God's people are called to be peacemakers: to resolve conflict rather than perpetuate it or ignore it, and to help bring about the conditions for peace to grow and develop.
Duane Major looks at the nestled layers of community that Jesus experienced and made himself apart of with those who gathered around him, from the 3, to the 12, to the 72 and to the crowds. What type of redemptive community do these layers entail?
Jesus calls people to follow him together. But what sort of people does he call? Sam Young looks at who Jesus called as his first disciples.
Sam Young Begins our series on Jesus's call to community with a look at the calling of the first disciples, the creation of Adam and Eve and the calling of Abram, and asks the question: what kind of community is Jesus calling us to be?
Our Flourish series continues with a look at how seeds grow and the importance of the little things - even seeds as small as a mustard seed.
In the first of our Summer series, Lidwina shares her personal testimony of God at work in her life and the lives of those around her.
Ameila Smith concludes our Advent series by sharing how the most amazing divinely given gift came to us in the most ordinary packaging.
Sam Young continues our Advent series by examining the promise of peace given by God and realised in the coming of Jesus.
Advent continues with Jo Robertson heading back to the prophet Jeremiah to see how God's promised king would bring justice
We begin Advent with a look at what the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Messiah and how, in Jesus, the light has truly come.
Duane Major takes us through the final chapter of James, where James has much to say about the rich and shares some hard-hitting truths for God's people.
As much as we might not want it to, conflict on the church is a reality. Amelia Smith looks at what James says we can do about it and how to deal with it effectively.
Our James series continues with Murray Robertson examining the difficulty - and absolute necessity - of taming our tongue.
What is the relationship between faith and works? How do we keep them together without favouring one over the other? Why are they important for our relationships and our experience of God's grace?
Our James series continues with Claire Russell taking us through the second half of chapter one, her topic the importance of not just hearing the word but doing it by making sure we look into the mirror of truth that is the word of God.
Sam Young begins our series on the book of James, looking at how to remain joyful through hard times and the importance of wisdom and how to grow in it in times of trouble.
Sam Young brings our fasting series to a close by explaining how the practice of fasting is a powerful way of showing solidarity with the poor.
Duane Major continues our fasting series by looking at how in tandem with prayer, fasting can amplify our prayers.
Ameila Smith looks at how fasting can be a powerful way in which we can grow in holiness and become closer to God.
Global Week 2024 kicks off with John Robertson looking at what has motivated us to move out into the world, to the poor and unreached as Jesus did, and asks if we're ready to move again.
Our Jonah series comes to an end as Sam Young looks at Jonah's reaction to God's reaction to the Ninevites reaction to his message.
Sam Young and Erin White combine to unpack the details of the unlikely, yet amazing, second chance that God gave Jonah...and through him, the opportunity the Ninevites were given to repent and turn to God.
Steve Withington continues our "Good God" series with the Son, salvation and the way we are reconciled to God and welcomed into his family.
What is God like? Where should we look to see God? Jo Robertson points us in the direction of Jesus, the incarnate Son, and shows us why and how Jesus is the full embodiment of God.
What is the nature of God and the nature of the divine love the Father has for the Son in the Spirit? And what does that mean for the love we are to have for God and each other?
Claire Russell begins our new series on The Good God, an investigation into the nature and character of the Triune God, by looking at the love of the Father.
John Robertson shares the importance of lamenting, and the way the prophet Habakkuk is a model of how we can bring our complaints and laments at God, however and whenever we need to.
Jo Robertson begins a 2-week mini-series on the book of Habakkuk, as we take the time to ask where is God when times get tough? How are we supposed to response to injustice when it seems like God is silent?
Warren Read leads our family service and examines the importance of a life built on the solid foundation of Jesus and his teaching.
With the coming of Matariki, Duane Major encourages us to use this opportunity to reflect and take hold of what God would have us do.
Duane Major closes out our Remaining series with Psalm 103 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul."
Duane Major opens up Psalm 139 - a beautiful psalm that lets us know that God knows us intimately.
Our "Remaining" series continues with a look at this most famous psalm - and possible one of the most well-known of any bible passage.
Duane Major continues our Remaining series with Psalm 27, with particular focus on what it means to desire God and what we do to both satisfy and maintain that desire.
Our new 5-week series looks at the importance of the presence of God, of spending time in his presence and remaining in his presence so that we can hear from him. Through psalms, and through various spiritual rhythms and disciplines we will look at the ways we can do this, beginning with meditating on scripture.
Pentecost. The giving of the Holy Spirit. A sound like a rushing wind and the appearance of tongues of fire. Sam Young looks at scriptural precursors to Pentecost and what has changed for us.
Our Miracles of Jesus series brings us to perhaps his most famous - and amazing - miracles of all: the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Duane Major explores what this miracle tells us about healing, about God's love and about who Jesus is for us.
From the chaos outside we move to the chaos inside and Jesus' healing and deliverance of a man possessed by many demons.
Tim Piesse begins our series on the miracles of Jesus with the calming of the storm, and what it means to have courage as a disciple - and why it is so important that we do, whatever the situation.
Today we hear from our guest speaker Pintu, who is principal of the Christian Discipleship Centre (CDC) in Bangladesh, which we as a church have supported for many years. Pintu shares hi story or coming from a Muslim background and coming to know and experience the power of Jesus in his life.
Easter isn't only about the redemption and salvation of humanity. It is also about the restoration and renewal of God's creation. Duane Major shows us what creation care means for the followers of Jesus and our role in renewing creation.
Dr Ahmed Joktan shares his story of becoming a follower of Jesus, from a Muslim background, and how God spoke to him and changed his life.
In the face of the most recent outbreak of fighting in Gaza and the crisis there, Murray Robertson presents a history of the area, the nature of the conflict in Israel/Palestine, and what it means for us today - and what we can do about it.
Paul Fletcher looks at a different creation story that competed with the Jewish story and looks at what the differences tell us about who we are and who God is.
Rose Fyfe, from NZCMS (New Zealand Church Missionary Society) reflects on the sending of the disciples and what such sending means for us.
Steve Withington examines the career of the wily Jacob, asking what his life tells us about faith. Marcus and Rachel Jamieson share part of their family's faith journey.
Claire Russell leads us through the story of Deborah and Barak and how God triumphed through their actions, and Pam Arnold shares part of her faith journey.
We return to the book of Hebrews, to a 'mini-series' on the 'Hall of Faith' found in Hebrews chapter 11. Duane Major looks at what faith is and what it isn't, and its importance for our lives. Cheryl Townley then shares the story of the beginnings of her faith and what she has held on to during her faith journey.
Sam Young concludes our Prayer Practice series with a look at contemplative prayer, the importance of spending time with God, and the ways to combat the distractions that stop us from doing so.
Our prayer practice series continues as Claire Russell shares the importance of taking the time to listen to God, to actively seek to hear what he is saying to us.
Sam Young discusses what it means to talk with God with openness and honesty, particularly around the concepts of lament - when we are full of pain and sorrow - and intercession - when we pray on behalf of others.
We begin a new series called "The Prayer Practice" with Sam Young using the Lord's Prayer to show us what talking to God looks like and what it means.
Nathan Bird, a pastor at Eastgate Christian Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, concludes our worth-ship series with a look at the anointing of Jesus at Bethany, when a woman poured a valuable jar of perfume over Jesus. What does this event tell us about worship and what it means to give everything?
Sam and Kate investigate worship and the two different responses that Mary and Martha had to Jesus.
What is worship? What does it mean to show that God has worth-ship? Steve Withington takes us through the story of Mary and Martha and their different approaches to hosting Jesus.
Duane Major looks at the body language of our faith: does the way we live and move and act match what we say we believe? Are we training well for the game, whatever the circumstanes?
Who is Melchizedek and why has the writer of Hebrews focused on him so much? Murray Robertson explains all and shows us how important an understanding of Melchizedek is for grasping God's redemptive purpose for all the peoples of the world.
Hebrews continues with a look at Christian maturity: what it means to grow in our faith, the importance of training, teaching and role-modelling, and an example of honouring God from the life of Abram.
Sam Young continues our Hebrews series by looking at some of the big, hard questions we sometimes have for God, and how we can still be confident of finding the love and power of God when we approach him.
John Robertson looks at the call to enter into God's rest and asks why so many people in the world, particularly the poor and ignored, are denied God's rest, and what we can do about it to remind the world that all are worthy of God's rest.
Jo Robertson looks at Jesus as the perfect model of leadership, the one who fulfills the purpose for which God made us but at which we failed, and how we can learn what it truly means to honour others as made in the image of God to have dominion in this world.
Our Hebrews series continues with a look at the supremacy, centrality and simplicity of Jesus, how he is the centre of our faith, and the importance of remaining fixed on him.
Dr Christa McKirland opens our series on the book of Hebrews with an overview of the sacrificial system, its purpose, and why the sacrifice of Jesus - and his ascension and exultation - is so important for us, for our hope and for the confidence we can have in Jesus, our great High Priest.
Alan Jamieson concludes our Easter series with a look at doubt and how it can be a very important part of our faith journey, helping us deconstruct and reconstruct our faith.
The post-Easter period begins with Steve Withington guiding us down the road to Emmaus with a couple of despairing disciples who meet a stranger who assuages their pain and disappointment.
Our Ko Tatou Tatou series comes to an end with a look at the meal Jesus gave to his disciples to remember and celebrate him.
Duane Major moves on to the 'lifelong followers" part of our vision statement, looking at the call to the first disciples.
Our Ko Tātou Tātou series continues our walk through our vision statement with a look at the way Jesus shared God's love through word, sign and deed, and how we are to do the same, wherever we are.
Continuing our examination of our vision statement, Duane Major discusses the importance of the phrase "in the world" and what it means for our church and what Jesus intended his disciples to understand - and do - about what he said to them about sharing the gospel.
Sam Young returns us to the garden and the establishment of our four key relationships, the breaking of them, and the way the love of Christ has reconciled us and our relationships.
Duane Major kicks off our Summer Spectacular camp - and our Ko Tatou Tatou ("We Are Us") series with a look at the importance of Jesus stories, and asks what Jesus stories we have in our lives and how has experiencing Jesus led us into sharing Jesus.
This week John Robertson concludes our series on Sabbath, a word which means to stop, rest, delight and worship. Today looking specifically at the idea of worship.
Claire Russell continues our series on Sabbath by looking at how the Sabbath is a time for experiencing God's joy and the delight he takes in creation by taking the time to seek out delight in our lives and the world around us.
This week we continue our series on sabbath, a word which means to stop, rest, delight and worship. For week 2, Claire Russell looks at the idea of rest.
This Week we begin our series on sabbath, a word which means to stop, rest, delight and worship. Based on that, we are framing our series on Sabbath in four movements – stop, rest, delight and worship. The plan is to cover each movement over the four weeks. This week Sam kicks us off with stop. Its our prayer that as we journey through these four weeks we might experience rest, that we might be challenged in how we live our lives, and inspired to create opportunities for those around us to delight in God as well.
Jo Robertson concludes our lead up to Christmas with our final Advent message, this time on joy - the joy God takes in his creation, including us, the joy we find in him, and how we can bring joy to the people and places where joy struggles to be seen.
Sam Young continues our Advent series with a look at love, specifically the extravagant love that God has for us as expressed in the incarnation, Jesus becoming flesh just like us.
Asuntha Charles, National Director of World Vision in Afghanistan, shares about the current situation in the country, the plight of the people, and asks what we can do to assist the Afghan people.
Jesus experienced wilderness times too. Duane Major takes a closer look at the most famous of these in search of what we can learn from what Jesus experienced.
Threatened with death and on the run from Jezebel, Elijah hides out in the wilderness. Claire Russell looks at what we can learn from Elijah's time there, and how God appeared to him.
What is the new thing that God is currently doing? How do we discern what it is and how can partner with him in it? Ohn Robertson shares a couple of ways in which God is doing a new thing and how we can be involved.
Sam Young opens our Water in the Wilderness series where we look at how to hear God's call in the midst of our wilderness experiences, when times are tough and God seems far away.
Duane Major examines how Paul instructs the Ephesians (and us) to live differently, and what that might mean for what we position and our hearts and our minds towards.
Sean du Toit takes us through a whistle stop tour of the bible to show us the entire grand narrative of God's love for the poor of this world.
Jo Robertson opens our Global Week with a look at the vision given to Ezekiel of the valley of dry bones, and the way that God invites us to participate in his work in the world.
Our Ephesians journey continues with Amy Page-Whiting looking at the gifts mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 4 and the fact that these gifts are given to not just some but to everyone.
Having suffered for his faith - and still suffering in prison - Paul calls upon the Ephesians to be love one another and be unified as one body. Katie Kingsthwaite leads us through the importance of this for the church today.
That we are known and loved by God is one of the key things Paul wants the Ephesians (and us) to know. Daphne Marsden leads us through this heartfelt prayer that Paul offers up for the Ephesians.
Duane Major begins our journey through Paul's letter to the Ephesians with a look at the background to the letter and the breathless torrent of praise with which Paul begins the epistle.
Tim Piesse, from Crossway Baptist Church In Melbourne, tells us how discipleship isn't meant to depress or frustrate us, but rather is the natural, straight-forward outworking of looking for God int he relationships and spaces and places in our lives.
Murray Robertson brings our year-plus long journey through Matthew's gospel to a close with a look at Matthew 24, what Jesus says here about the destruction of the Temple, what it means for the 'end of the world' and how we as followers of Jesus are supposed to respond.
Claire Russell holds a mirror up to the 'woes' that Jesus hurls at the Pharisees and shows how these woes also hold a mirror up to our lives and show us the blindspots that we can't see that make us stumble and fall short.
John Robertson discusses what Jesus commanded his disciples to do in his final instructions to them before his ascension, and what fulfilling the Great Commission might mean for us today.
Sam Young looks at the arrest in the garden and what we can learn from the way the disciples reacted.
Claire Russell looks at Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and what we learn about the relationship between them.
A misunderstood act of extravagant devotion prompts Duane Major to ask where we see the beauty of God around us, what does our worship look like, and how can we make sure we are seeing the opportunity for such acts of loving devotion in the world around us.
Steve Withington takes us through the parable of the workers paid equally and examines what that means for us and our call, our vocation, and what we learn about grace as we seek to follow Jesus.
What holds us back from God and following him with all we have? What might we need to let go of I order to be more committed? And why, for so many people, might wealth be the answer to this question? Whatever we might need to relinquish, Murray Robertson looks at why it is so important that we do so.
Daphne Marsden looks at what Jesus had to say about divorce, why he said what he did, and how his teaching sought to protect the vulnerable and powerless, and how he challenges us today to do the same.
Alan Jamieson picks up our Matthew series in chapter 18, looking at the attributes of love that we need to show to others in the body of Christ in order to be the body of Christ.
As we journey back through the genealogy of Jesus, Duane Major looks at Zerubbabel, tasked with leading the exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, the problems he faced, how we manage our hopes and expectations, and how we respond to God's initiatives and how we plan in expectation of God's response.
Duane Major introduces our journey through the parables of Jesus with a look at the images Jesus used to describe the Kingdom of heaven, and what it means for us to have a role in the coming of the Kingdom.
Jesus got in trouble over what he and his disciples did on the Sabbath. Jo Robertson looks at what this tells us about the laws and systems of the time and what our stance against the systems that deny people their freedom needs to be and why.
John Robertson addresses creation care and how we are called to care for creation by Jesus, the one who is Lord of Creation.
John the Baptist and Jesus were both misunderstood and faced rejection. John also found himself doubting whether Jesus was God's promised one. Daphne Marsden looks at John's doubts, the doubts that people had about John and Jesus, and asks what we learn about our own tendency to doubt God.
With the help of a couple of friends, Claire Russell takes us through Matthew 11, showing us what the crowd missed about John the Baptist, how Jesus upbraided the people for not believing in him, and the right way to live that his yoke frees us for.
Jesus sends the Twelve out with some very specific instructions. Duane Major explains what they meant then, what they mean for us now, and what it tells us about the good news.
What stops us from following Jesus? What stops us from giving him our all? Why do we hold ourselves back from giving everything?
Alan Jamieson shows the many ways in which Jesus brings freedom to people and how his followers are called to do the same.
Having spent several weeks hearing the words of Jesus, Alan Jamieson now moves us down the mountain into the works of Jesus as he heals several people, showing the words being put into action.
Alan Jamieson looks at what being a disciple of Jesus means and how not everyone immediately understood what was required.
Murray Robertson takes us through the final chapter of the Sermon on the Mount and shows us just how revolutionary the lifestyle Jesus calls his followers to actually is.
Duane Major looks at giving and praying as key elements in discipleship, with special emphasis on the Lord's Prayer.
Steve Withington continues our walk through the Sermon on the Mount by looking at a series of commands on how to live that Jesus gives his followers.
Steve Withington looks at one of the most famous passages in scripture and examines the beatitudes from the point of the blessings - and the difference between those the world sees as blessed and those Jesus would bless - and the blesser.
Jesus announced the coming of the kingdom of God and called his first disciples to follow him an become 'fishers' of people. Jo Robertson examines what this meant for those who heard his message and received healing.
Jo Robertson begins our extended journey through the gospel of Matthew with a look at the episode of Jesus' baptism, the importance of his baptism and what it tells us about the Triune God and how God sees us.
Claire Russell looks at the coming of the Holy Spirit, and interviews several people to find out how God's Spirit has been moving in them and what the Spirit has been saying to SWBC lately.
Steve Withington ends our post-Easter "Beyond the Doorway" series with a look at Jesus' final commissioning of his followers to make disciples and spread the gospel.
"Let's go fishing." So said Peter, little realising that an initially unsuccessful fishing expedition would end with a profound, miraculous, restorative meeting with the risen Jesus around a campfire on the beach.
Using the story of Thomas's disbelief, Alan Jamieson looks at the evidence for the truth of the resurrection.
On the evening of Easter Sunday the disciples are fearfully huddled together when Jesus suddenly appears among them. Alan Jamieson looks at what is truly meant by Jesus's greeting of "Peace be with you."
Alan Jamieson takes us along the road to Emmaus, and uses the encounter with Jesus as a way of challenging us to let God show us his story in new ways, through new people and encounters.
Alan Jamieson takes us through the encounter with Jesus on the Emmaus road to show us how the death and resurrection of Jesus changes everything for us, turns everything upside down - just as it did for these two disciples.
Tash Higginson looks at how our stories and God's story and how inconveniences and discomforts can be important ways in which God speaks to us.
Jo Robertson opens John's gospel to Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus at the tomb, and shows us how Mary's story - and ours, and everyone's, no matter how unlikely a person they may appear to be - has a place in the big story of God
Easter changes everything. The story changes what is possible. Alan Jamieson looks at the story of Easter.
For our Good Friday service Alan Jamieson looks at the final two words from the cross to show us how Jesus was faithful in completing the Father's work and fully trusted his Father in committing his spirit into his hands.
We celebrate Palm Sunday with Daphne Marsden looking at the humility and obedience displayed by Jesus and the ways we are called to do the same.
Kate McClelland shows us how the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem illustrates four ways in which he was an unexpected king, and what that means for us and our world today.
Jo Robertson brings together the commemoration of the second anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks with an exploration of Jesus' cry of abandonment on the cross, exploring how we may have abandoned others we deem not like us and exhorting us to always to be welcoming to others, no matter who they are.
Duane Major unpacks the nature of family, especially "whangai" family, and what it means to extend the family to take in others, just like Jesus did between his mother and John, and as the church is called to do in extending love and care to all.
Our season of Lent opens with Alan Jamieson examining the first of the worlds of Jesus from the cross, and delving into the reality of God's forgiveness and the necessity of our accepting forgiveness in order for it to be effective and real.
Steve Withington looks at Paul's famous passage on the body of Christ and shares about the importance of diversity in unity.
Duane Major kicks off the lead in to our church camp with an examination of the word 'spectacular', what it means, what it might mean for the followers of God, and how God himself is the one who defines spectacular.
Claire Russell concludes our series on the Life of the Beloved with a look at how we are given - and are to ourselves - to others, and how our lives are to lived for others.
Continuing with our series on "Life of the Beloved", Alan Jamieson examines the darker, more painful aspects of our lives, reminding us that accepting and embracing our brokenness - and allowing God to work through our fractured selves - is a necessary part of being his child.
Learning to be God's beloved requires that we accept our blessedness - something that we cannot pass on to others by blessing them if first we have not claimed it for ourselves.
Alan Jamieson begins our Summer Series walk through Henri Nouwen's "Life of the Beloved", starting with The fact that we are beloved by God, chosen/taken by him as one of his beloved children.
Alan Jamieson continues Advent with the appearance of Jesus to his disciples and the giving to them of the Holy Spirit.
In 2020 we have been more aware of the importance of our breath than before. Alan Jamieson begins our Advent series with a look at the breath of God and what it means to have the breath of God within us.
Jo Robertson takes us through the short letter of 2 John, which in its way is a summary of the letter of 1 John, but with the emphasis place firmly on truth and on hope.
Alan Jamieson examines all the threads of the gospel that John weaves together in the final chapter of 1 John.
Curtis Higginson examines what it means to be a child of God, and how this is an example of 'love actioned' by God, towards us, so that we might then 'action love' towards others.
Alan Jamieson continues through the first letter of John, contrasting the light of last week with the darkness this week, as John warns his 'children' not to love the rebellious world and its corrupt, evil and sinful systems, but to instead follow the way of Jesus who refused to live the life the system tried to force him to and showed a different way to live.
Alan Jamieson opens our series on the Letters of John by looking at the light, the humanity and the divinity of Jesus, and the importance of holding them together.
Steve Withington takes a look at the last words of the bible, looks at how they can help us reframe the message of God and the work of his people, and looks at who we are as a people at South West.
Alan Jamieson looks at how our fulfilling of God's mission involves a Great Commandment, a Great Commission, great compassion and great co-operation in community.
With the referendum on the End of Life Choice Act approaching, Dr Sam Bloore looks at the three main arguments proposed in favour of euthanasia and offers faith reflections in response to each of them.
Alan Jamieson looks at the last of the Songs of Ascent and looks at blessing, especially what it means to be a blessing to others and to share the gift of blessing with others.
Katie Kingsthwaite takes us through Psalm 124 and shows us how the psalm holds together the tension between hurt and hope, between suffering and triumph, and how God is with us through it all and calls us to be with each other through it all.
Alan Jamieson looks at community, in all its messiness, surprise, joy, work and sorrow, and what it takes for a community to be real, honest, accepting and, above all, unified.
On the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks, we continue our series on 1 Peter with a look at what Peter has to say about suffering.
Alan Jamieson invites us to ask ourselves "What new thing is God doing and am I seeing it and acting with it?"
Steve Withington talks about what it means to live as God's people when living in Babylon, when the people of God are called to go against the flow of the world.
Alan Thomson continues our journey through the first letter of Peter with a look at what it means for us, as a community of God's people, to live Godly lives in a world that either denies God or chooses other Gods to follow.
Our series on 1 Peter continues with a look at the importance of being holy as God is holy in order fully to live lives of shameless audacity in a world that refuses to know God.
Alan Jamieson begins our series through 1 Peter, a series that will look at how hold dual citizenship in this world; how we can live fully and faithfully as God's people in a world that doesn't know him.
Dave Graham looks ahead and asks what adventure God might be inviting us into this year.
John Tucker takes us to the book of Daniel 2 in order to explore God's promise of hope to his people.
Alan Jamieson examines who we are as South West Baptist, what it means to strive together for the faith of the gospel, and how to support and champion the people we see striving to work for the coming of the kingdom of God.
Alan Jamieson brings our Micah series to a conclusion with a look to the future, to what God requires of his people and what God longs for for his world.
Jo Robertson continues our journey through Micah, tackling the subject of hope, and the importance of being God's people of hope in a world in desperate need of it.
Alan and Charles wrap up Baptist Hui 2019 with a call to engage in shamelessly audacious prayer for the sake of the kingdom, and to ask ourselves what is it that we could be praying for, however impossible or outrageous.
David Graham continues our Micah series with an examination of leadership, and a look at what God actually requires of us.
Micah shows us how important it is that God's people be able to read the times in which they live. Alan Jamieson examines our times and in particular the disconnection and relational poverty experienced by today's 18-35 year olds.
Alan Jamieson looks at Micah's prophetic call to the people to live out their love of God in practical, loving ways, and how the challenging message of the prophet also challenges us today
Alan Jamieson opens our series on Micah with a look at the prophet's message, and God's call to his people to turn back to him, away from idolatry, and towards a life of faithful, loving obedience.
We hear the stories behind the SWBC worship songs being released on EP today (songs not included here, but available on Spotify and Apple Music).
Katie Kingsthwaite shares her experience of welcoming the stranger in her work at SWBC since March 15.
Alan Jamieson looks at the mysterious way that seed grows, and our job in sowing the seeds of the kingdom, and trusting God for the growth.
Curtis Higginson shares his testimony, looking at how we do not have to walk alone and the importance of our four key relationships in shaping us.
Jo Robertson looks at the parable of the mustard seed and the strangeness and unpredictability of the kingdom of God.
How is Jesus the light? Why is he so keen to shine in our lives, revealing the good and the bad? David Graham looks at the parable of the lamp on the stand, and how Jesus is the light that wants to shine forth and be seen.
It's one of Jesus' most famous parables, it's the first encountered in the gospel of Mark, and it's one that Jesus himself provides an interpretation of. Alan Jamieson takes us through the parable of the sower and asks, 'What kind of soil are we?'
As we end our journey through Jonah and look ahead to Global Missions week, John Robertson looks at the connection between Jonah and mission to all the people of God's world, and asks whether we will be like Jonah or whether we will listen to and obey God and go.
Alan Jamieson shows us how no one - not even runaway Jonah - can ever fall beyond the reach of God, but also how Jonah needed to learn this for himself so that he could - maybe? hopefully? - see the need to apply the same logic to others.
Jonah finally goes to Nineveh to deliver God's message of judgement to the people. Jo Robertson shares what we can learn about the nature and character of God based on how the NInevites respond to that message.
Steve Withington opens out series on Jonah with a look at Jonah's reasons for fleeing the presence of God, and the implications of this for God's - and our - mission in the world.
The Reverend Dr Lyndon Drake reflects on the history of the gospel in New Zealand, and how what Jesus says in Luke 12 speaks to us against the background of this history.
Grant Chivers looks at the rituals we have (including "catching up over a coffee") in the way we maintain our relationships with each other and with God, and the ways we can meet God when we do.
Jo Robertson discusses the global power of coffee and what it means to seek God's kingdom in our economic decisions that, whether we realise it or not, directly effect the poor and marginalised all over the world.
Alan Jamieson begins our Mid Winter series by looking at how the deeply embedded Christian beliefs the Cadbury family (and other "chocolate" families) inspired them to use their businesses as a platform for their care for and agitation on behalf of the poor, oppressed and marginalised of their communities.
Alan Jamieson contimues our Mid Winter series by looking at the Christian beliefs that inspired the Cadbury family to use their businesses to care for the poor, oppressed and marginalised of their communities - and how their compassionate capitalism was eventually destroyed by capitalistic greed.
Jo Robertson looks at the call of the tax collector Levi, the party he threw at his house afterwards, and what this tells us about the call of Jesus to each of us, and the call to us to go to the poor and the marginalised and others not normally included in community.
David Graham looks at the outrageous extent to which some people went in order to get their sick friend to Jesus, and the doubly outrageous response of Jesus.
Claire Russell looks at the clash between Jesus and the Pharisees over Jesus' healing of a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.
To acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the Cross Over Trust, Jo Robertson briefly interviews three of the people involved in its establishment, before going on to look at the miracle of Jesus feeding 5000 with only five loaves and two fish.
David Graham introduces baptism as we celebrate with three people being baptised tonight.
Steve Withington looks at the nature of God's healing and the hope it brings, through the stories of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the issue of blood.
Jesus' argument with the Pharisees over what is clean and unclean provides the basis for Alan Jamieson's look at the subtle evil that grows from deceit and deception.
Alan Jamieson looks at Jesus' healing of the demoniac and examines what this tells us about evil and the power of God.
Alan Jamieson looks at a passage in which Jesus heals many people, and talks about God's healing ways.
Alan Jamieson looks at the relationship between Jesus and nature, the his power to clam the waters, both literally and figuratively in being with us in the storms of life.
Grant Chivers looks at the importance of discipleship, the concept of a "person of peace", and introduces the Discovery Bible Method of bible study.
Alan Jamieson takes us through the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples gathered in the upper room, as they wait for the gift promised by Jesus.
God always asks questions of us, and always invites us into a deeper relationship with him. Alan Jamieson looks at what Jesus asked the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how what resulted deepened their understanding of who God was.
What stops us from opening our eyes and seeing God's presence at work in our lives? What was it that finally opened the eyes of the two disciples travelling with a disguised Jesus to finally recognise him?
Sharon Garlough Brown, speaker and author of the "Sensible Shoes" series of books, talks about why we can become disappointed with God, what we can be do about it, and the importance of being honest with God even in these circumstances.
Our "Road to Emmaus" series continues with a look at how Jesus made sense of the scriptures for his disciples, and how Jesus himself is the meaning behind, and the point of, scripture.
In a tangent to our Emmaus series, Murray Robertson looks at Peter's call to go to the Gentile Cornelius and the implications this episode had for the early church, and what it means for the relationship between Christians and Muslims today.
Alan Jamieson looks at the dashed hopes of the two disciples on the Emmaus Road, how Jesus speaks to those hopes, revives them, and takes the disciples deeper into a renewed hope in God.
Alan Jamieson begins our post-Easter series on The Road to Emmaus with a look at how Jesus can meet us in the midst of disillusionment - disillusionment that is often necessary on order for true community to grow.
Alan Jamieson examines the importance of welcoming and accepting the stranger into our lives by looking at the impact had by the stranger the two disciples encountered on the road to Emmaus.
Derek and Jane Wenmouth share the story of their time at Spreydon/South West, sharing stories of God's faithfulness along the way.
Tash Higginson asks if we were in the place of the disciples on that Easter Sunday morning, "would we believe?" Then three people share their testimonies of how God has been miraculously working in their lives lately.
Our Easter Sunday service sees Alan Jamieson invite us to leave all our baggage at the foot of the cross, and no longer unnecessarily carry it around with us.
As we enter the final week leading up to Easter, Alan Jamieson looks at how God was at work in the terrible events of Good Friday and how he is at work in the world today.
Alan Jamieson looks at the three days of Easter, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday, through the lens of Agony, Absence and Alleluia.
Sean Pawson examines the nature of the Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples, both what the meal commemorates and what it looks forward to.
Alan Jamieson explains why we, as disciples of Jesus, need to have salt and fire in our lives.
Jo Robertson examines the costly nature of love, and how we need to take the time to see people as they really are in order to love them as they really are - just like the woman who anointed Jesus' head with perfume did.
The full Sunday morning service following the attacks on the Christchurch mosques, with a focus on finding hope in the midst of grief.
Alan Jamieson looks at a key moment - a 'Kairos' moment in the lives of the disciples, as Jesus asks them, "Who do people say I am?", and "Who do you say that I am?"
Alan Jamieson looks at the challenge Jesus brings and what a normal Christian life following Jesus looks like.
Alan Jamieson looks at a day in the kingdom with Jesus and asks "Is there room in our lives for the king to be the king?"
Steve Withington looks at the calling of the first disciples, and examines what we leave behind in order to follow Jesus, and asks what Jesus might be calling us to now.
Four fishermen dropped their nets, left their boats and families and followed Jesus - no hesitation, no questions asked. Jo Robertson investigates why they did this and what it meant for them later on down the road.
Jesus begins to share who he is and why he is here, and what his followers can do to help bring God's kingdom to the world.
Alan Jamieson examines the beginning of Jesus' ministry, when he stands up and proclaims who he is and what he has come for.
What is the point of baptism? And why did Jesus get baptised? What does his choosing to get baptised by John tell us about the relationship between Jesus and his Father, and the Father's relationship with us?
Alan Jamieson begins our series on the gospel of Mark with a look at the importance of focusing on Christ alone, and opening ourselves up to what God wants to do in us.
Alan Jamieson looks at the person and message of John the Baptist, and what his call to repent and turn back to God means for us.
Our Summer Series concludes with a look at Jesus' cleansing of the Temple and the connection between this and his cursing of the fig tree.
Alan Thomson examines our assumptions about how we read the story of Jesus' anointing by the 'sinful woman', and what a re-reading of that story might tell us about our equality as believers before God.
Alan Thomson continues our Summer Series by looking at some famous biblical stories, and unpacking them in a way that allows us to see things that we might not normally see in them, beginning with the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
Our Summer Stories series begins with Alan Jamieson looking at the courage of Joseph, betrothed of Mary, and his willingness to trust God and courageously follow his call, no matter what.
Advent continues with a look at what the early disciples discovered when they first encountered Jesus, and spent the day with him.
Our Advent series continues with a look at the coming of Jesus as an opportunity for us to have life, and life abundantly. What does abundant life actually look like?
Alan Jamieson begins our Advent series with a look at the beginning of the gospel of John, and the connection between the word, the Word and the World.
Alan Jamieson looks at Advent as a season when we are especially invited to become children of God, the way we were always meant to be.
Our Colossians series continues with a look at what it means to be unified, and how we live out the truth that we are all equal in Christ.
Alan Jamieson continues our Relationships series with a look at marriage and how Christian marriage is a sign and a symbol of what God wants to in eternity.
Alan Jamieson looks at the topic of discipleship and what it means to be called by God, and the flow of the movement of discipleship in our lives.
Our Colossians series kicks off with Alan Jamieson looking at how Christ is the foundation of who we are and how we define ourselves.
Jo Robertson looks at where we as a church fit into the global picture of God's mission, and share's some stories of SWBC people who have spent time overseas in mission.
Alan Jamieson goes back to the bible passage preached from 45 years ago when SWBC began its global missions journey to find out what impact one church can have in God's mission of reaching the poor and unreached.
Tim Costello, current Chief Advocate (and former CEO) of World Vision Australia begins our Global Missions series with a look at Jesus' call to love our enemies, and what that means for the building of God's community and the mission of the church.
David Graham ends our series on Romans with a look at the way God is found in the pain and brokenness of the world and how we are called, through the work of the Spirit, to enter into the world and work for transformation.
John Robertson talks about the brokenness we see in the world around us, and how the God who loves the world and gave himself for it, is found in the midst of the brokenness.
Steve Graham shows how care for creation has always been part of humanity's God-given vocation.
Andrew Shepherd examines the ecological crisis/collapse that the world is currently facing, asking how we as followers of Jesus should live and what role hope has in our lives, particularly in relation to the environment.
Sharing from her recently published book "Dishonoured and Unheard: Christian Women and Domestic Violence", Daphne Marsden talks of Christian women living with or recovering from domestic violence, and how our reactions and assumptions can sometimes cause more pain - but that in Christ there is only love, not condemnation.
Jo Robertson looks at the freedom that faith in God gives us, and the fact that we haven't just been set free 'from' something but also set free 'for' a purpose - to bring freedom to the rest of God's world.
Our Romans series continues with Callum Stewart-Ward taking us through the beginning of chapter 7, and how we have been set free from being defined by - and defining others by - the things that divide us, and united together by Christ.
Henk Smit takes us through Romans 6, and, just as Paul asked, asks us what our reaction to sin is, and how important it is that we not let sin reign on our lives.
Wayne Sangster continues our Romans series as we come to chapter 6 as Paul writes how are to be dead to sin and alive to God.
Sean Pawson looks at what Paul says in Romans 5 about faith, hope and love, and what this means for us.
Alan Thomson takes us through Romans 4, looking at the promises of God made to Abraham, and how those promises were fulfilled, and are being fulfilled in our lives today.
David Graham looks at Paul's account of the story of Abraham, and what that means for the hope we place in God for the promises and dreams that he gives us.
We have been justified and redeemed because of God's righteousness and faithfulness. What does this mean?
Our Romans series continues with Steve Withington taking a look at the state of our hearts and how it connects to God's judgement and mercy.
Alan Jamieson continues our series on Romans. (WARNING: this message contains content suitable for a mature audience only.)
Jo Robertson looks at what Paul means when he says he is a slave of Jesus Christ and what that would have meant to the recipients of his letter, living at the heart of the Roman empire.
Murray Robertson opens our series on Romans with a look at the content of the gospel of God, and Paul's impassioned commitment to spreading the message of Jesus.
Dr Bob Robinson looks at the meeting at the well between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, and investigates how the approach Jesus took in this encounter can inform our encounters with those of other faiths, particularly Muslims.
David Graham looks back over the "Prayer Changes Us" series and looks at how prayer changes us in secret, is taught, and is an intimate encounter with God.
Claire Russell sums up our entire "Prayer Changes Us" series by asking us what we have learnt, how we have encountered God and what we will do in prayer going forward.
Alan Jamieson looks at the third temptation of Jesus, the temptation to lead rather than be led, and examines how Jesus' final words to Peter show us how to do avoid this temptation and why it is so important to do so.
The temptation to be spectacular, to be popular, to be the hero, is one we are always faced with. Jesus faced it too, but how he responded shows us how we, together, are to avoid the lure of this temptation.
Alan Jamieson looks at the importance of using our whole body in worship and prayer, the role our body plays in how we present ourselves to God, and addresses our reluctance to do so.
Alan Jamieson discusses the importance of solitude and silence as a way to reconnect with our soul and with God, something that is especially important in a society that has so many things to distract us and keep us busy and burn us out.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he was offered the chance to be relevant, to be current, important, significant. He refused, as his time in the wilderness had taught him something important about himself: that he was beloved by God - something we need to accept about ourselves too.
Such is the love that God lavishes on us that there is always more of God waiting for us if we are open to seeking him out and letting him bless us with more of him.
Alan Jamieson investigates the importance of the word of God for our lives, our growth in God and our prayer lives.
Alan Jamieson introduces us to the idea of "praying scripture", and takes us through an example of it in order to show us how it can be a great tool in our prayer arsenal.
“Prayer does not change us. Prayer puts us in a great posture towards the God who changes us.” Alan Jamieson shares how we can put ourselves in this posture before God.
Jo Robertson discusses how our intercessory prayers for the world must hold in tension the pain and suffering of others as well as the hope offered by God.
Alan Jamieson reveals why it is so important that when we pray we offer all of our selves - everything we are, inside and out, with no holding back.
Grant Chivers continues our series on prayer by looking at how the Spirit changes us and deepens our prayer life.
For our Mother's Day service, Cat McFedries, together with guests, examine the feminine side of God's character and how these aspects of who God is can impact on our relationship -and prayer relationship - with him.
Steve Withington, together with Colin Harrington, looks at the importance of corporate prayer and why waiting and praying together are crucially important.
Kathy Viney shares some of her story with us, especially around her deeper journey inward with God in prayer.
Claire Russell opens our series on "Prayer Changes Us", discussing how God reveals himself through prayer, as well as sharing some of her experiences of encountering God through prayer.
Crucifixion, resurrection...ascension, right? David Graham examines the importance of the forgotten member of the "trinity" of Easter events.
Henk Smit takes us through the final words of the risen Christ to his disciples, and reveals what the beginnings of the church mean for us today.
'Doubting Thomas': is this a fair nickname for one of Jesus' disciples, or is there more to him than this? Callum Stewart-Ward looks at the nature of doubt and how we approach it in our lives.
In a week in which we reflect on the Easter story and commemorate Anzac Day, Warren Read examines the themes common to both: service and sacrifice.
Alan Jamieson looks at the resurrection of Jesus, and what the vindication of the rejected Jesus means for us.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus took a while to recognise Jesus - and needed a nudge in order to do so. How do we recognise the risen Christ in our lives?
We here some reflections from some of our young people who attended this year's Easter camp.
As Jesus' final hours pass on the cross, we look at the seven last sayings of uttered by Jesus as his death approaches.
The same crowd that acclaimed Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem was baying for his blood only a few days later. How do we move away from the crowd, how do we turn around and walk against the flow of the mob, following the hard path that Jesus trod? What does the way that Jesus trod that path reveal about God?
Claire Russell examines the disciples' betrayal of Jesus, and how important forgiveness is between friends when one has let the other down in a time of need.
As Jesus agonised in the Garden of Gethsemane, he sought to discern the will of his Father, so that he could conform his own will to that of God. Alan Jamieson looks at what we learn about the discernment process from the agony of Jesus.
Callum Stewart-Ward looks at Jesus' cry of grief over Jerusalem, and shares some contemporary stories of people's grief, and asks us to think about God's grief for us in these times of pain and anguish and what His response is.
Alan Jamieson begins our Easter series by examining the purposefulness with which Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem.
Alan Jamieson discusses why it is so important for us to deal with conflict in our midst, the ramifications if we don't, the benefits when we do.
Alan Jamieson looks at how all the good things that we may experience and have in life, no matter how good they are, are nothing when compared to knowing Christ.
Our Philippians series continues with Jo Robertson looking at how Paul still managed to find joy in times of deep despair.
Colin Harrington looks at how if we follow the humble, self-effacing example of Jesus we will make God's joy complete.
Andrew Judd, mayor of New Plymouth from 2013 to 2016, shares his story and talks about the future of race relations in New Zealand.
David Graham closes the celebrate series with a look at the future and what there is about the return of Jesus Christ that we can look forward to celebrating.
David Graham examines the importance of taking the time to stop, look around, and see what there is in the present moment to celebrate and be thankful for.
David Graham presents our celebrate series, beginning with how we look back and celebrate the past.
Alan Jamieson talks about the search for truth, and how the wise men exemplify the combination of faith and learning in search of truth - and how the search for truth is not the search for a concept but the search for a person.
Alan Jamieson examines the (unexpected) part the shepherds played in the birth of Jesus, and how we all have a part to play in God's story, no matter who we are or where we're from.
Claire Russell looks at the circumstances behind Mary's 'yes' to God and how we can learn from her obedience and courage in saying yes to the things God is asking of us.
The meeting of Mary and Elizabeth was a key part of the coming of Jesus. Two vulnerable women greeting each other with love, grace, acceptance affirmation - two women offering themselves as an encouragement to each other in a time of uncertainty and doubt. How can we do the same for others?
We don't know much about Joseph, but what we do know tells us a lot about hearing God when he speaks to us and obeying what we hear.
Sean Pawson opens our Advent series with a look at the song of Zechariah and the coming into the world of the long awaited light of God.
Chris Heuertz, author of (amongst other books) The Sacred Enneagram, talks about what it means to be a faithful witness in this world, and how the Kingdom of God needs to come in us so that it can come among us and heal a broken world.
Alan Jamieson looks at how the Holy Spirit brings life and joy to people open to the Spirit's promptings.
David Graham looks at the role of the Holy Spirit in drawing attention to Jesus, and in building up and equipping the body of the Church.
Mike Pilavachi examines the call of Isaiah, and how Isaiah's "wow' moment of experiencing God was followed by a "woe" moment of unworthiness and then a "go" moment of a mission to tell others - and why all three parts are necessary.
Mike Pilavachi teaches about the Holy Spirit, exploring the way God worked through David, but how such work was begun during a time of loneliness and boredom in David's life.
Mike Pilavachi teaches about the Holy Spirit, exploring the way God worked through David, but how such work was begun during a time of loneliness and boredom in David's life.
Mike Pilavachi examines the call of Isaiah, and how Isaiah's "wow' moment of experiencing God was followed by a "woe" moment of unworthiness and then a "go" moment of a mission to tell others - and why all three parts are necessary.
Alan Jamieson celebrates the anniversary of Parihaka by looking at how the Spirit moved and inspired a non-violent community of Maori in the 1880s, and looks at how such inspiration and guidance is needed by all of us today, especially in relation to recent events in West Papua.
Alan Jamieson and Doug McNeill share about the history of Parihaka and its relevance for us today, especially in the light of the recent events in West Papua.
Jo Robertson closes our series on the book of James with a look at the importance of praising God in the good times and bad, and making sure we seek him in prayer as our first response.
As his letter comes to a close James becomes particularly hard-hitting against those who exploit the poor. Alan Jamieson examines what it means to look at the world through the eyes of the king.
Words are powerful. Our tongue is the most powerful muscle in our body.Alan Jamieson looks at James's teaching on controlling our tongue and what true wisdom is.
Do we offer our deepest longings and desires to God? Is our deepest longing for God or for something else? How do we put God first?
Steve Withington examines God's call to impartiality and mercy, and how this ties in with God's bias to the poor.
Our series on James continues with Henk Smit offering a 'fruit salad' of thoughts on the importance of hope, combating temptation, and the goodness of God.
Our series on the book of James kicks off with Alan Jamieson examining the importance of perseverance and seeking wisdom, with some practical tips on how to engage in Godly decision making in our lives.
Grant Chivers dives into the book of James to see what James has to say about wealth and poverty and the way we are meant to live as followers of Jesus.
Dr Jayakumar Christian shares 5 important things needed for true transformational mission to occur.
Dr Jayakumar Christian examines what it means for a local church acting locally to effectively and actively engage in global mission for the sake of the nations.
Jo Robertson preps us for Global Missions Week by looking at the song Mary sings upon being told she will bear a son, and what this episode reveals about the kingdom.
Alan Jamieson concludes our Sabbath series with a look at how the Sabbath is a foretaste of eternal life and celebration in the fullness of the kingdom of God, and why it is so important that we make time in our lives for God.
For our family service, Ben Macgregor explains how God sees beneath the sometimes not so great externals of our lives and actions and sees us and loves us for who we are as his children.
Tash Britt discusses the importance of a life that has good Sabbath rhythms in it, and interviews Grant Chivers about the rhythms he has in his life.
How does God delight in us and how do we delight in the Sabbath? Why has God given the Sabbath to us? Alan Jamieson takes us through the importance of the Sabbath for our rest, re-creation and renewal.
Cat McFedries examines how "the Sabbath as resistance" is a key element in our call to 1) resist the pressures of society, 2) resist the pressure to exclude others, and 3) stand up against economic injustice.
Can we rest? Can we stop and enjoy God's holy rest? Or are we too afraid of what we might find within us if we were to stop and rest? Warren Read examines the difficulties and anxieties that can stop us from resting in God's peace.
Jo Robertson looks at the incredibly radical nature of God's call to Sabbath observance, and how living the Sabbath truly must be a deeply counter-cultural act.
Steve Withington begins our series on the Sabbath by asking the fundamental question of what is the Sabbath and why is it important? Are our lives too busy and too fast to even properly have the Sabbath God intended? what can we do to change this state of affairs?
Lloyd Martin asks who were the adults who had the biggest impact on us when we were growing up and why, and challenges us to make a similar impact on the young people around us by simply offering ordinary kindness to them.
Lloyd Martin asks who were the adults who had the biggest impact on us when we were growing up and why, and challenges us to make a similar impact on the young people around us by simply offering ordinary kindness to them.
Alan Jamieson concludes our Freedom series with a look at what it means to be pardoned by God, and how we can abuse our freedom or not even accept it if we so choose.
Paul chastises the Galatians for trying to turn the gospel into "Jesus + extras", and warns them against the dangers of living by the flesh rather than by the Spirit. Warren Read examines how we can live by the Spirit and see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
Our Freedom series continues with David Graham showing us how we have been freed through our adoption into God's family, made heirs and children of God, not slaves as we once were.
Henk Smit looks at why Paul upbraids the Galatians for forgetting how they have been set free from the law and from 'religion'.
Alan Jamieson begins our Galatians series on freedom by looking at the way we can be set free from the past only by the grace of a God who is not afraid to get deeply involved in our struggles.
Alan Jamieson looks back over church history to 3 moments when something new and radical occurred and the church was faced with the choice of supporting or dismissing these new radical moves of God. He then looks at what many see as a new such move today.
World Vision NZ CEO Chris Clarke shares what it means for love to be incarnational, and asks us what we might have 'hidden in the cupboard' that we could bring out to offer others.
World Vision NZ CEO Chris Clarke shares what it means for love to be incarnational, what it means for us to both weep and rejoice with our neighbours.
Alan Jamieson prays "your kingdom come" and investigates what that would look like in our city and our nation and why it is so urgent that God's kingdom does come.
Alan Jamieson looks at the beginning of the Lord's prayer, and asks what does it mean to call God Father and to pray for his kingdom to come?
Jo Robertson shares her story, placing particular emphasis on prayer and what she has learnt from the bible and from others about prayer.
Alan Jamieson explores the meaning and significance of Pentecost, the giving of God's Spirit to the church.
Alan Jamieson takes us through the day of Pentecost, the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church, and the implications for us today.
Alan Jamieson looks at the often overlooked book of Haggai, and the message of prioritizing God first that the prophet spoke to the discouraged returned exiles in Jerusalem.
Jo Robertson closes our series on Exodus with a look at how the ten commandments show us what the people of God are supposed to look like, and especially how we can mend our broken relationships with others.
Andy Carpenter leads the service celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tuesday Fellowship, reminding us of how all people are loved and accepted by God.
Catherine McFedries looks at how the Ten Commandments impact on and shape and grow our relationships with each other.
On Mothers' Day Steph Redhead shares her thoughts on Mothers, women, and the various seasons of life that we all experience.
Alan Jamieson looks at Jesus' final command to his disciples about making more disciples and how that final "great commission' connects with our sense of belonging.
Beccy Haylock shares her experience of the times when, like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, she has asked "Where are you in all of this God?"
Steve Withington asks how we can stay passionate in our love for God, especially in life's dark, tough moments, by looking at the disciples post-Easter experiences.
Alan Jamieson looks at the way the resurrection of Jesus is the rebirth of our passion and our hope for the things that seem impossible.
Warren Read opens our Easter series with a look at Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
Claire Russell talks about our praise and worship of God by looking at the Israelites' reaction to being saved from the Egyptians, and what this episode says about God's character and our response.
The Israelites have reached the Red Sea only to have the Egyptians bearing down on them. With freedom so close at hand yet so far away, what will they do, and more importantly, what will God do?
Steve Withington takes us through the events of the first Passover and explains how the Passover involves new birth, judgement and celebration, before leading us through the Passover meal Jesus left for us.
Tash Higginson looks at how God and the Israelites squared off against Pharaoh and the Egyptians and how God rescued his people from slavery.
Jo Robertson discusses the famous sequence of ten plagues visited upon the Egyptians, and examines how our freedom is linked with the freedom of the poor and oppressed and how following God requires us to join in active solidarity with the poor.
God has called Moses, but Moses still needs convincing that the job is doable. God shows Moses how the simple things Moses has to hand - and Moses' hands themselves - are more than enough for God.
Our Exodus series continues with a look at God's call to Moses and how that call involved giving Moses an identity and a sense of belonging - and how God was at the centre of both.
Jo Robertson looks at the cry of oppression of the Hebrews under Pharaoh and asks why is God so slow to act, and what role do we as the people of God have to play in answering the cry of oppression.
Alan Jamieson begins our series on the book of Exodus with a look at the contrast between the promises of God and the "voice of Pharaoh" that tries to snuff out God's promises.
Alan Jamieson looks at the call of Jesus, how transformative following Jesus is meant to be, and what it means to belong.
Alan Jamieson looks at what it means to belong, and how that sense of belonging to a community relates to baptism and membership.
Alan Jamieson asks how we can actually tell we are truly becoming lifelong followers of Jesus by looking in the Gospels at the responses two people had when they encountered Jesus.
Alan Jamieson and Dr Sandy Kerr (lecturer at Carey Baptist College) share about what it means to be a redemptive community following a redemptive God, giving a perspective from New Zealand history about what it means to be a redemptive people offering hope and peace to all.
Steve Withington examines the role we are each to play in binding and healing the hearts of the broken hearted.
Claire Russell examines how we are to make sure we are always seeking to grow and deepen our relationship with God.
Catherine McFedries looks at the story of the Good Samaritan as a story that shows us the limitless love of God - no one is beyond his love. Our prejudices need to be set aside in the face of his love. Who is God asking you to love this year?
Warren Read begins our summer series by asking each of us what to think about what God is asking us to leave behind and what he is asking us to stretch towards? What does God have lined up for us?
Steve Withington examines the coming of the Prince of Peace and asks whether or not we see Christmas as a time of peace in our lives and our world.
What does it mean to belong, and how can we belong to each other and welcome others into where we belong?
What does it mean to belong, and how can we belong to each other and welcome others into where we belong?
Mark Ambundo explains how God is seeking to grow our trust in him, and why this is crucial for our witness to others.
Mark Ambundo explains how God is seeking to grow our trust in him, and why this is crucial for our witness to others.
Claire Russell looks at the spiritual hunger of people who were clamouring to see Jesus - including a group of men who destroy a roof in order to get their friend close to Jesus.
Alan Jamieson examines the importance of children and their "child-like" faith, and how important coming to faith at a young age tends to be.
What can we learn from Jesus' sending out of the twelve disciples? What type of model is this for us today? Steve Withington investigates?
Jesus hung around with some pretty disreputable people - causing other people to get pretty upset. Who are we to hang out with? How do we show the love of Christ to those society deems beyond the pale, beyond worth and beyond redemption?
Tash Britt tells the story of the man healed of demon possession, and how Jesus set him free, not to travel with him, but to go back home and tell his story. What freedom stories do we have to tell from our own lives?
Steve Withington looks at our need for a heart transplant, and what it means to have a new life in Christ and to be imitators of God.
As South West Baptist Church celebrates its 150th anniversary Alan Jamieson looks back to what has inspired us and also what spurs us to stretch forward to the future.
As South West Baptist Church celebrates its 150th anniversary Alan Jamieson looks back to what has inspired us and also what spurs us to stretch forward to the future.
Mike Douglas looks at the importance of unity in the body of Christ and how vital unity is if we want to truly exhibit the diversity of our various God-given gifts.
Alan Jamieson asks what is it that makes church 'church'? What do we focus on? How does what we focus on affect how people belong?
Alan Jamieson continues our series on belonging - and our journey through Ephesians - by looking at what Paul says in worship to God and his glory and what that means for the church.
Alan Jamieson looks at the power of God's love that reconciled us to him and us to each other, and what that means for how we belong to each other and the world.
Alan Jamieson examines what it means to say Jesus is our cornerstone, and what sort of household God is building - and expects us to build too.
Alan Jamieson launches SWBC's 150th celebrations with a look back at the early history of SWBC, what inspired the people to plant a church and what inspires us now.
Alan Jamieson looks at the love God has lavished on us by adopting us into his family and what it means to commit to his family, his people.
Duane Major looks at how we worship with our whole lives in the face of hardship and suffering, asking "How can we sing praises when there's tears on their faces?"
Steve Withington looks at how our every day acts are to be offered in worship through several stories of Jesus and his time with a particular family from Bethany.
Tash Britt looks at the central importance of being vulnerable towards God when we worship.
Wayne Huirua, specialist on leading others in worship, shares his experience of what it takes to engage in honest, open, heartfelt worship of God.
Chris Clarke, CEO of World Vision NZ, looks at how we can best make our voice heard in our neighbourhoods as we engage with the brokenness around us.
World Vision NZ CEO Chris Clarke asks "what is God's call on your life, and are you listening to what God is calling you to in your neighbourhood"?
Kicking off this year's Local Missions Week, Sam Chapman shares his experience of developing and fostering local communities and neighbourhoods.
Sam Chapman shares about the importance of developing strong communities through deep involvement and fostering relationships.
Alan Jamieson concludes our series on the Good Shepherd with a look at the apostle Peter's last words to the leaders of the early church about shepherd-style leadership suffering to reveal the glory of God.
Steve Withington continues our series on tough topics with a look at pain and suffering, our views and experiences of it, and God's response.
Henk Smit looks at how Jesus himself embodies the character of the Good Shepherd, and what this means for us.
Alan Jamieson explores the biblical framework of marriage and sexuality and how we are to live that out in ways that honour God's intentions for us and that offer compassion and love to all people.
Steve Withington continues our Good Shepherd series with a look at the parable of the lost sheep, and what that tells us about the nature of God.
Alan Jamieson looks at Judaism, Christianity and Islam, their similarities and differences, and how we are to relate to and share with those of other faiths.
Alan Jamieson looks at the way in which bad shepherds can scatter and hurt God's flock, how God promises to rescue and restore all lost sheep, and how these times of hurt and bitterness can be times of deep encounter with God.
What is the bible? Why do we read it? Why do Christians see it as so important? Colin Burt examines the authority of scripture and how it is vital in understand God's story and his goal for his creation.
Alan Jamieson continues our series on the Good Shepherd, looking at God's message given through Ezekiel to the exiled Israelites.
Is Jesus the only way to God? Are all religions the same or is there something special about Jesus? Alan Jamieson takes a look.
Alan Jamieson begins our series on The Good Shepherd with a look at Psalm 23 and the image of God as the Good Shepherd that is revealed there.
Jo Robertson examines what it means to be generous, to live a life in which obeying and trusting God and being generous to all others is more important than our own security.
Alan Jamieson looks at how we play the money game, how we can do so with generosity, and whether God might actually be calling us to change the nature of the game entirely.
How are we to live and be generous in a way that means that all people everywhere can flourish? How does God want us to live so that this can happen?
Why are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer? And why is it happening at a faster rate than ever before? And what is the Christian response to such overwhelming inequality? Murray Robertson investigates.
Steve Withington kicks off our series on money with at look at God and Mammon. (Includes brief skit at the beginning.)
What happens to people when they live in a market society, when everything and everyone is viewed only in monetary terms, and people's worth is judged solely in financial terms? Jo Robertson investigates.
Dr Aung Mung from the Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology shares from the passage where Jesus gives his disciples the Great Commission, and he also shares the amazing story of what God has been doing in the country of Myanmar.
Steve Withington looks at how mission requires us to be continually learning, serving others, and sharing our stories with others.
Alan Jamieson concludes our 'Together' series with a look at the importance of truthfulness and how crucial it is for unity.
What should we be grateful for? What is the connection between grace and gratitude. Daphne looks at the story of the woman who anointed Jesus' feet with perfume and tears for an answer.
Alan Jamieson examines the importance of hospitality and how it is central to our relationships with others and the health of our communities.
Duane Major looks at the centrality of hospitality, the importance of welcoming others, and interviews a couple of people who have opened their home up to others
Steve Withington looks at the importance of promise making and promise keeping and the contrast between relationships based on a contract model and those based on a covenant model.
Why are making and keeping promises important? How does our relationship with God inform how we go about making promises in our lives?
Dr Phil Halstead examines forgiveness and why it is so important in our relationships with others, including God.
Sam Broughton brings our Easter series "Beautiful Scars" to a close with a look at the power of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jo Robertson looks at the story of Thomas and his doubts,and how Jesus answers our doubts and struggles through his sacrifice on the cross.
Warren Read examines Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus and the significance of the two questions he asked her, "Why are you crying?", and "Who are you looking for?"
In this Easter Sunday sermon Alan Jamieson discusses the resurrection and how scandalous the evidence for it would have seemed.
Our Easter series continues with a look at Judas' betrayal of Jesus, how we can also betray and manipulate Jesus, but how no matter how far we may fall from grace, Jesus always offers a way back.
Alan Jamieson discusses the passion of Jesus and how we can make the passion of Jesus our passion too.
Alan Jamieson opens our Easter series on the "beautiful scars" of Jesus with a look at the broken bread and the broken body and the Easter experience of Jesus.
We begin Easter with a look at the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples and the transforming forgiveness that flows from his sacrifice.
Murray Robertson ends our Revelation series - where else? - with the end of all things, an ending that is really the beginning.
Duane Major draws our Revelation series to a close by looking at the end of all things and asking how we can live now with the end in mind, how do we prepare now for eternity.
Murray Robertson brings us the message of hope embodied in Jesus, the rider on the white horse, especially to those being persecuted and oppressed because of their faith in him.
Alan Jamieson looks at the seductive nature of the whore of Babylon and how it prevalent in the world around us, but how God's love for his people is even stronger than the whore's lure.
Jo Robertson looks at how the economic system we are a part of is incredibly similar to the system that John decries so forcefully - and that God promises to destroy - in the book of Revelation.
Murray Robertson explains the nature of the two beasts of Revelation 13 and how they represent a power diametrically opposed to the rule of God, and how we can learn to see recognise and stand against the power of the beasts.
Alan Jamieson continues our Revelation series with a look at the woman and the dragon, what they represent, and how the option of not choosing a side in the battle is not actually an option.
Duane Major looks at what the book of Revelation - and specifically the sounding of the seven trumpets - tells us about how we should care for the environment.
Murray Robertson examines how the book of Revelation is a message of hope for all, especially those suffering persecution and oppression.
Alan Jamieson continues our Revelation series with a look at the long, difficult course of history, how we as God's people are to view history, and why John;s message is one of encouragement under persecution.
Murray Robertson continues our series on Revelation as we cover chapters 4,5 and 6 to see what they have to say about the course of human history and endurance under persecution.
Alan Jamieson kicks off our series on the book of Revelation by giving us an overview of the opening 3 chapters and then focusing on the letter to the church at Ephesus.
Our series on the book of Revelation begins with an overview of chapters 1-3 before Alan Jamieson narrows his focus to the letter to the church at Ephesus.
Duane Major looks at what true freedom is, and how it simply comes down to following Jesus. What does that look like? Are we rambunctious followers (uncontrolled, unruly, exuberant and unpredictable) or are we staid, lifeless, restrained and aloof?
Duane Major looks at how God reveals himself to us, especially as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and how this impacts on our lives.
Alan Jamieson looks at how we make the transition from leaving one year behind and moving ahead into a new year, and how this connects with the idea of grace and peace.
Alan Jamieson looks at how Christmas is a message of joy, and how we can know something of the joy of Christmas.
Alan Jamieson looks back at what God has been saying to us this year, and what his call to us is heading into the future.
Duane Major encourages us to try and lead a life that is "not normal", to step out and take a risk, rather than sit back and play it safe.
Alan Jamieson, with the help of a couple of guests, looks at the events behind Parihaka, and what it means to seek justice in this world, and what it looks like when we do so.
We reach the end of our journey through the book of Luke with Jesus approaching the city of Jerusalem, only to weep over it. What do we learn about God from this?
Jo Robertson looks at a passage of hard teaching, on the nature of costly discipleship, of giving up all to follow Jesus.
Duane Major looks at vulnerability, why we avoid it and how important it is in deepening our relationships with God, our self, each other and the world.
Professor Simon Kingham looks at our make up of our neighbourhoods and what neighbourhood might have meant to Jesus and what it means to us.
Tim Perry talks about baptism, what it means and why we do it, and about the general call that Jesus makes to all of us to follow him.
Warren Read looks at the people's demand for a sign from Jesus and Jesus' response to that 'wicked generation'.
Colin Burt looks at what Jesus had to say about the Temple, and the problem that develops from an inadequate understanding of prophecy.
Tash Britt picks up the story in Luke's gospel as Jesus nears Jerusalem and the cross awaiting him. Tash looks at what it means for us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily as we follow Jesus.
Alan Jamieson looks at just how prevalent food is in the gospel of Luke and how important food and meal times were for Jesus.
Ten men with leprosy called out to Jesus and he healed them Only one man came back to thank Jesus for what he had done. What does it mean to be grateful? Why is it important? And how does our gratitude (or lack of gratitude) affect our relationships with God and others?
Jo Robertson looks at how an encounter with Jesus changed not just Zacchaeus's life but also his entire community, and how our lives need to change the way Zacchaeus's did if we are to see the lives of the poor and marginalised transformed too.
Sarah Harris, Lecturer in New Testament Studies at Carey Baptist College looks at Zacchaeus's encounter with Jesus and what this tells us about forgiveness and the restoration of relationships and community.
Alan Jamieson looks at what we can learn from the blind man at the side of the road who called out as Jesus was going by.
Alan Jamieson looks at the episode of the blind man by the side of the road, and what it means to wholeheartedly risk all in response to Jesus.
Alan Jamieson examines what Jesus has to say about suffering, the reasons for it, and our response to it.
Alan Jamieson asks why there is suffering in this world, what purpose it has, and what God's response is, and what ours should be.
Kate Street looks at Jesus' telling of the story of the great banquet and what it means for us and the hospitality God offers us and that we are called to offer to others
The disciples asked Jesus "Teach us how to pray." Warren Read looks at Jesus' reply and what that tells us about prayer and how we should pray.
Alex Snary, who spent many years in Gaza as World Vision's Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza National Director, shares about some of the work he oversaw there and the need for followers of Jesus to active in their following.
Alex Snary, who spent time as World Vision's Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza National Director, shares the story of his journey.
Alan Jamieson looks at the parable of the great feast and how that represents the great heavenly banquet that awaits all those who accept God's invitation.
Alan Jamieson looks at what the parable of the rich man and Lazarus tells us about poverty and our attitudes towards the marginalised and ignored.
Alan Jamieson looks at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, what this tells us about the importance of the big and little things we do in live, and the importance of forgiveness in determining our eternal destiny.
Craig Vernall shares the importance of not shunning or ignoring the 'disreputable' places around us - places where God's kingdom is both needed and already at work.
Alan Jamieson looks at the vision of the valley of dry bones that God gave Ezekiel and what we can learn about the importance of place and the importance of allowing God to breathe new life into us.
Chris Heuertz shares his experiences and wisdom of living in community for over 30 years in different parts of the world.
Chris Heuertz shares some of his stories and experiences of over 30 years spent living in various communities around the world.
In the next of our Jesus stories, Murray Robertson looks at what we learn about the kingdom being both 'in our midst' and 'coming', and how we can remain faithful as we live in this 'in-between' time.
Henk Smit examines the importance in persisting in prayer, even when it seems hard and ineffective.
Warren Read tells us what we can learn from the rich man who hoarded his wealth, rather than share it with others.
Murray Robertson examines the parable of the Good Samaritan, and how Jesus himself is the ultimate example of a good Samaritan.
Grant Chivers looks at the famous parable of the Good Samaritan and asks whether, in our relationships with those on the margins, we are acting as 'lovers' or 'lawyers.'
Alan Jamieson shows how the parable of the prodigal son illustrates God's unfathomable love for us, and looks at why it can be so hard for us to accept this love.
Ron Hay looks at what many people see as being one of the greatest stories in the bible - perhaps in the world - in the parable of the prodigal son.
We begin our series on the stories of Jesus by looking at the parable of the sower, the four types of responses to the sowing of the word of God, and how we can better listen to what God is saying.
Jo Robertson examines the parable of the sower and looks at the strange ways in which the kingdom comes.
Alan Jamieson takes advantage of our Mid-Winter Christmas 'tradition' to look ahead to the coming of Jesus and the ways we can share that story with others in our society.
Alan Jamieson looks ahead to Christmas by looking at the promises of God to his people, and how we can prepare to tell the Christmas story to those around us.
John the Baptist asks Jesus is he is the one to come. Andrew Picard looks at Jesus' answer and the shocking nature of Jesus' 'right-way-up' Kingdom.
Jason Chee looks at the conclusion to the sermon on the plain, and what Jesus expects of us if we are to build our lives on a solid foundation.
Jo Robertson takes us through a recap of Luke 6 and shows how these teachings of Jesus are the foundation we need to build our lives on.
Jesus said we are to love our enemies, do good to them and pray for them. Alan Jamieson tells us why, and why it is so important that we do, however hard it may seem.
Alan Jamieson tells us why one of Jesus' hardest, most radical sayings - "Love your enemies" - is one of the most important.
Alan Jamieson discusses the revolution Jesus instigated and highlights the contrast between the right way up kingdom of this world and the upside down kingdom Jesus calls us to be citizens of.
Alan Jamieson looks at what it truly means for us to develop the Father's heart in us and why this is so important.
Alan Jamieson looks at some of the early miracles of Jesus, and how he broke seemingly insuperable barriers in order to reach people.
Alan Jamieson looks at the call of the first disciples, and how they made the transition from calling Jesus 'Master' to calling him 'Lord'.
Colin Burt begins our series on Jesus' Call with a look at the calling of the first disciples, their ordinariness, the need for a little faith, and the continuing nature of the call.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, Alan Jamieson looks back at what happened, and what it tells us about who we are as a nation and as followers of Jesus.
On the 100th anniversary of the Anzacs landing at Gallipoli, Alan Jamieson looks at war and peace, especially in the context of the rise of ISIS today.
Murray Robertson looks at the importance of the resurrection and why it needs to be the central pivot of our lives.
Claire Russell brings our Easter series to a close with a look at the resurrection of Jesus from Luke's gospel.
Jo Robertson asks whether we have experienced the forgiveness Jesus offers us through the cross.
Tim Perry looks at the journey towards belief of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Colin Burt looks at how the resurrection is revealed in one of the simplest, most common routines in our lives, and how we are to include others in this routine.
Alan Jamieson looks at how, in an instant, both at the time and now, the resurrection changes everything.
Jo Robertson examines the various trials Jesus was subjected to, to see how God's purposes for the world are worked out during Jesus' trial and interrogation, and to see what we can learn about power and weakness through the conduct of Jesus.
Alan Jamieson looks at the trials of Jesus and how he stood up against the power centres of the day that opposed him.
After the last supper Jesus takes his disciples to the Mount of Olives where he exhorts them to pray while he agonises in the garden. Alan Jamieson examines what we can learn about the hard times we face, and how, hard though it can sometimes be, to submit to the will of God.
Duane Major talks about those life-changing moments that take us 'beyond the point of no return', by looking at Jesus' point of no return as he agonises and prays in the garden.
As we begin the approach to Easter Duane Major looks at the last supper, and how brokenness was a key feature of the community that gathered for that first communion.
Julian Doorey ruminates on his 13 years of missionary work in Bangladesh by seeing how what he has been doing matches up with the mandate Jesus read out in his hometown synagogue.
Rachael Beever looks at Jesus as reads from the scroll of Isaiah, and how the aftermath shows God's concern for the poor and the marginalised.
We come to the passage in Luke where the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness, where he is tempted by the devil.
Murray Robertson looks at the baptism of Jesus and how he identifies with and unifies all of us as his followers.
Alan Jamieson looks at the message of John the Baptist and his call to "prepare the way of the Lord".
Alan Jamieson looks at the storms of life that can assail us, and what we can learn from Jesus calming the storm.
In the final of our "On the Beach" series, Duane Major looks at Jesus calming the storm for his frightened disciples and asks what does it take to grow our faith?
Alan Jamieson examines a very important bbq on the beach, featuring Jesus and the disciples, focusing especially on Peter.
We continue our "On the Beach" series with the calling of the first disciples of Jesus.
"On the Beach" continues with the story of Jonah, a man called by God for a special task but very reluctant to do it.
Our "On the Beach" series continues with the momentous event of the Israelites finally crossing the Jordan River into the land God had promised them.
Alan Jamieson begins our holiday series "On the Beach" with a look at God's miraculous intervention to help the Israelites' escape from the Egyptians through the parting of the waters of the Red Sea.
Alan Jamieson brings our Advent series to a close as we head into the final days before the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Today's passage looks at the birth of John the Baptist and the song of Zechariah.
In this second week of Advent Nicola Hart looks Jesus' teaching of the "sheep and the goats", and what this parable means for rich and poor in the light of the coming of Jesus
Duane Major begins our Advent series by looking at what it means for God to move, how people react, and asks how we might want God to move today.
Duane Major looks at gratitude and how 'remembering long' can help us develop a permanent posture of gratitude.
Jo Robertson examines graciousness and its importance to us today - how it influences how we see God and how we see others.
What is graciousness? How does God's grace to us affect the way we act towards others? How can we live a more gracious life?
The rich young man came to Jesus with a question on his mind and a longing in his heart. Jesus answered the young man's question in a way he didn't expect and offered a cure for the young man's deepest longing - and ours - that challenges us still.
Alan Jamieson looks at generosity and what it means to be a generous person, and how our call to follow Jesus includes the call to be radically generous.
The rich young man came to Jesus with a question on his mind and a longing in his heart. Jesus answered the young man's question in a way he didn't expect and offered a cure for the young man's deepest longing - and ours - that challenges us still.
Alan Jamieson looks at generosity and what it means to be a generous person, and how our call to follow Jesus includes the call to be radically generous.
Alan Jamieson explores our vision to be a redemptive community by looking at a key passage of scripture: when Jesus stood up in the synagogue and laid out the mandate for his ministry. How do we follow him, how do we act out this same mandate today?
Alan Jamieson explores the vision of SWBC to be a redemptive community by taking a whirlwind trip through the bible from Genesis to Revelation.
Alan Jamieson explores the vision of SWBC to be a redemptive community by taking a whirlwind trip through the bible from Genesis to Revelation.
Alan Jamieson explores our vision to be a redemptive community by looking at a key passage of scripture: when Jesus stood up in the synagogue and laid out the mandate for his ministry. How do we follow him, how do we act out this same mandate today?
Karl Faase examines what it means to share the gospel with clarity so that, as Paul says, "you may know how to answer everyone."
Karl Faase looks at Paul in Athens, what he said and how he said it, to see what we might learn about how to communicate the gospel to our culture.
As we reach the end of our year-long journey through the book of Acts, Paul reaches the end of his journey to Rome. Duane Major looks at the ending of Acts, what Paul says once in Rome, and how the end of the book is the beginning for us.
A shipwrecked Paul finally makes it ashore to Malta, before making the final journey to Rome. Tash Britt brings the book of Acts to a close, and looks at what the end of Acts means for us today.
Once again Paul is defending himself against his accusers, this time in front of King Agrippa. Paul tells his story yet again, this time with emphasis on the way he was kicking against God's intentions for him, and God's command to Paul to "get up, stand on your feet."
Paul finds himself telling his story before King Agrippa, and uses this audience with the Jewish king to tell the story of Jesus in a way that a Jew would understand.
Paul is dragged in front of Festus, the Roman governor, and Agrippa, the Jewish king, two very different men with very different attitudes towards Paul and his faith. Alan Jamieson examines the stories that Paul had to share and the way we are part of the same story.
Paul finds himself dragged before Festus and Agrippa. Still in prison, still facing an uncertain future, what was going through Paul's mind. Alan Jamieson looks at the hardships that can come when it feels like God's plan has gone off the rails.
Paul and the resurrection - "It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today." Why was the resurrection of Jesus so central for Paul and why is it so central for us?
Alan Jamieson looks at trial of Paul before Governor Felix, and the conversation between the two of them.
When Paul stands before the Sanhedrin and tells them he has in "all good conscience" fulfilled his "duty", what does he mean? And why are conscience and duty important for us too?
Why do we say "cheers"? What does it really mean, and where does it come from? The answer may surprise you.
Alan Jamieson looks at Paul's relationship with the Philippian church, and how it is a model for mission today.
What is God's dream for his creation? What is God doing in the world and how can we join in with it?
Helen Lewthwaite shares the stories of some of our overseas missionary workers, and looks for ways in which God has used them to tell His - and our - story.
Paul returns to an unwelcoming Jerusalem, but still insists on sharing his story with the mob baying for his blood. Alan Jamieson looks at what we can learn from Paul about how we share our stories.
Paul returns to a hostile Jerusalem but still insists on speaking to the mob baying for his blood. Alan Jamieson looks at Paul as a witness, and how this changed over time, and what this means for us to be faithful witnesses to Christ.
Murray Robertson looks at Paul's determination to go to Jerusalem, despite the protests of his friends. How do we determine when something is the prompting of the Holy Spirit and not just our own stubbornness leading us on?
Duane Major looks at the ways Paul was guided by God, and how he discerned what God wanted him to do - and how that applies to us today.
What does it mean to be a pilgrim, to undertake a pilgrimage, and to be a pilgrim church? What is generosity?
Alan Jamieson looks at Paul's final words to the elders of the church of Ephesus, and what those words mean to our churches and elders today.
Murray Robertson looks at the spread of the gospel in Ephesus and the nature of the opposition Paul (and the gospel message) encountered.
George Wieland looks at Paul's methodology as he arrives in Ephesus, and how he goes about sharing the gospel.
Duane Major looks at Paul's time in Corinth, how Paul ended feeling, and what God told him to do about it.
Murray Robertson looks at Apollos, and his encounter with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Merrilyn Withers looks at the story of Naaman, a man who let a very simple thing almost stop him from missing out on what God had in store for him.
Merrilyn Withers encourages us to be real with ourselves, each other and God, and looks at why this is so important.
Paul visits Athens, a major city of the ancient world, and birthplace of many key features of western civilization, and preaches to the people there.
Murray Robertson looks at the topic of guidance as it relates to Paul and his decisions about where he should go next.
Jo Robertson looks at the change the power of the gospel brought to two people who crossed paths with Paul and Silas.
Heather Gall looks at the next stage of Paul and Barnabas' journey, as they leave the Jewish world behind and enter the hostile territory of the Gentile world.
Murray Robertson looks at the (eventually) hostile reception Paul and Barnabas receive when they take the gospel to Lystra and Derbe
Jo Robertson examines the spread of the gospel as Paul and Barnabas set out overseas, and encounter both opposition and acceptance.
Murray Robertson continues our series on Acts with a look at Paul and Barnabas taking the gospel to news places, as the Gentile world awaits.
Murray Robertson looks at Peter's miraculous rescue from prison, the prayers of those praying for his rescue, and the power of God that rescued him.
Don McKenzie examines the aftermath of Peter's encounter with Cornelius, and how Peter's testimony about that encounter formed who he was and those around him.
Murray Robertson looks at the spread of the gospel outside Israel, and the nature of the believers who were witnessing to the world.
Claire Russell looks at the meeting between Peter and the Roman centurion Cornelius, and how it is one of the most important examples of crossing boundaries for the sake of the gospel.
Murray Robertson looks at the life changing encounter with the risen Christ that Saul of Tarsus had on the road to Damascus.
Jo Robertson looks at the conversion of Saul and, using her own story, looks at what it means to hear God's call and obey his plan over our own passions.
Alan Jamieson looks at the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, and what this shows us about God's inclusive love, open to everyone, no matter how unlikely.
Alan Jamieson looks at two examples of ways in which God's family is open to ALL, no matter who or what people may be like, and no matter what we may think of them.
On Palm Sunday Murray Robertson looks at what the return of the king means in the grand scheme of God's story for his creation and his people.
Colin Burt shows us that the face of compassion that Jesus shows to us on the cross is the same face of compassion we are to show to others, regardless of the cost.
Alan Jamieson examines how two simple words uttered by the dying Jesus on the cross show us his humanity and his desire for us.
Alan Jamieson looks at the way Jesus was a Revolutionary, turning things upside down and privileging those on the margins and at the bottom.
Alan Jamieson looks at the stoning of Stephen and how this was the catalyst for the eventual worldwide spread of the gospel.
Alan Jamieson examines an early conflict within the early church and the way its resolution shows us what being a disciple of Jesus means.
Warren Read preaches on a passage that illustrates some of the problems that the early church experiences because of their rapid growth, and shows how they resolved this issue in such a way that allowed the growth to continue.
Alan Jamieson looks at two very contrasting ways of addressing poverty: the early church community's way, and the way Ananias and Sapphira chose to act towards it and their community.
The worldly power of the priests and Sadducees comes up against the power of the resurrected Jesus, as Peter and John are dragged before the priests to account for their healing of the crippled man - and don't back down.
Murray Robertson looks at the courage displayed by Peter and John as they face the consequences of healing the crippled man - and how they do not shy away from their ordeal and its aftermath.
Alan Jamieson examines the story of the healing of the crippled man and looks at our reaction to poverty and how we can respond in a way that is not condescending and that heals and restores all relationships.
In Acts 3 we see an example of someone giving what they have. Alan Jamieson looks at how we can do the same, no matter what we have. (Incomplete audio)
A look at the early church and how they came together to be God's community on earth, how they fellowshipped in their homes, and spread the good news of Jesus.
Alan Jamieson looks at the early church and what God did by his Spirit in order to transform them into world-changing community of God.
Alan Jamieson looks at the beginning of the church and the call to be witnesses to Jesus.
Alan Jamieson looks at the beginning of the book of Acts, when and why it was written, and looks ahead to the story to come.
As a prelude to our series on Acts, Alan Jamieson looks at the bible, what it is, what it is made up of, and why we should read it.
Alan Jamieson looks at the very first encounters with Jesus that some of his disciples had, and examines what that means for how we encounter God.
How do we attain maturity in our worship? How do we stop cynicism and boredom from robbing us (and God) of our true heart of worship?
Roger Spicer looks at the consequences of worshipping something other than God,and how we can return to God and truly worship him as he is.
We begin a series on returning to God, returning to our first love, beginning with our worship of God.
In this Christmas Family Service, Sharon Burt shares about what it means to say Jesus is the true vine and how we can remain in him.
Alan Jamieson looks at Jesus' first miracle to see what it tells us about Jesus and how that might apply to the Christmas season.
Duane Major looks at the song of Mary and a passage from Micah that explores how we are meant to be God's people and what that might look like.
We begin Advent with a closer look at the wise men (magi): who they were, where they were from, what they came seeking and what that tells us about the King they came looking for.
In the last in this series Alan Jamieson examines what the writer of Ecclesiastes has learnt from his life, and his parting advice to us.
In the final in our series on Jeremiah, Alan Jamieson looks at the final encounter between the prophet and the remaining people of God as they seek to discover, in their difficult situation, what God wants them to do.
As the city of Jerusalem faces attack, we look at what has happened to Jeremiah himself, the trials he faces, and how his life can offer us a way of living our lives, even when circumstances are tough.
Murray Robertson looks at the vast inequality in our world, an inequality that the writer of Ecclesiastes was very familiar with and had much to say about.
Alan Jamieson looks at the surprising letter that Jeremiah sent to the exiles living in Babylon, and what he told them to do and how he expected them to live.
Halfway through the book of Jeremiah we see God proclaiming once again that destruction will come upon both his unrepentant people and the nations around them. But Jo Robertson shows us how this message is also tempered with grace and care for his people.
What does it mean to watch what we say, to not make rash promises or wild statements, but to live a life of reflection and contemplation of God? Duane Major investigates.
How are we to view time? How does God view time? What changes for us when we take a God's eye view of things?
We sing of God being the potter and we being the clay, but what does that actually mean for us? Alan Jamieson looks at what the book of Jeremiah says about it.
With great brevity, Alan Jamieson summarises the message of Jeremiah and shows how it is all about God's love for his people and his promise to restore them.
Claire Russell looks at how Jeremiah's perception of what was happening around him was not the same as God's perception, and how trying to see things the way God does can help us when things get really tough.
Alan Jamieson examines the limits of human wisdom and the importance of developing Godly wisdom.
Don McKenzie looks at God's call to a disobedient, sinful Israel to return to him, and what we learn about God, and ourselves, in this passage.
Alan Jamieson begins our series on Jeremiah by looking at God's calling of Jeremiah, and how we are called as well.
Alan Jamieson begins our series on Ecclesiastes by looking at the writer's view of the futility and meaninglessness of life.
Who are our people? When it comes to our God-given purpose, how do we fit together with others and truly come to be the body of Christ? Alan Jamieson looks at how we achieve unity and be a people together.
Where is our place? Having so far investigated our calling and our shape and our posture, we now look at the place where we are called to.
Matt Stott looks at what it means to be passionate and what it means for our passion to be a Christ-motivated, Christ-powered passion.
Duane Major looks at our passion, how we find out what our passion is, how we can best be passionate and how it makes us tick.
Murray Robertson looks at what it actually means to give our life away in order to save it, and how we might do that in the service of God and others.
Wyne Kirkland, co-author of the book Soul Purpose, takes us through the way in which we can use our shape (covered in the previous installment of the series) and use it to serve God and others.
Catherine McFedries looks at our personality and the ways we have of working out how God has shaped us and what we are like and how we can best serve him.
Alan Jamieson and Colin Burt look at the way we are shaped, the way our biology, upbringing and our life stories combine to shape us and how we fit into God's purpose.
Alan Jamieson begins our Soul Purpose series with a look at how our story (and our individual stories) fit with God's story.
Duane Major kicks off our Soul Purpose series, look at how our story (and our individual stories) and our relationships fit with God's story.
Don McKenzie explores why we experience times of "darkness", when God seems totally absent, and what these times are good for and why they are to be treasured.
There are many other religions in the world. How is Jesus any different? How are we to treat those of other faiths? How are we to talk with them in useful dialogue about Jesus?
Alan Jamieson looks at the long dry spells we all face on our faith journey, and how we can still see God at work in these times.
Paul Windsor looks at Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian in the context of the global mission of God.
What do we do when all seems hopeless, and we find ourselves deep in despair? Why do we go through such experiences? Where is God in these times?
What do we do when we are burdened by doubt? What are we meant to do with the big questions that seem to have no answer? Alan Jamieson looks at ways in which such doubts, even when no answered, can often lead to a deeper experience of God.
What is our relationship to the rest of creation? How are we supposed to act towards the earth? Duane Major looks at God intention for us and the rest of his creation and the way we are dcalled to care for all that God has made.
With much debate over changes to New Zealand's marriage laws, Alan Jamieson examines God's intention for marriage and ways we can gracefully, compassionately and faithfully enter the debate.
Duane Major examines the importance of discipleship, how we can remain lifelong followers of Jesus, and ways to improve our discipleship journey.
Bishop Justin Duckworth looks at Jesus sending out the 72, the risks we are meant to take for God, relying only on him, and not being distracted by the culture around us.
Murray Robertson looks at the nature of Paul's strengths and weaknesses as revealed to the Corinthians, and examines what is was exactly that Paul boasted about and the secret about our weaknesses and strengths.
Steve Withington looks at wisdom and foolishness - and how what the world might see as wisdom, God sees as folly, and vice versa. How are we to know the difference?
Alan Jamieson looks at a couple of simple exercises we can do to help us listen to the Holy Spirit and what he may be saying to us through the bible and through our daily lives.
How do we keep our minds focused on God and the mission he has called us to? How do we "take captive every thought" and make it obedient to Christ, without getting sidetracked by the temptation to judge everything by worldly standards?
Our series on 2 Corinthians continues with a look at Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians to be generous, cheerful givers, and why this is so important.
What is the Holy Spirit for? Why has God given us his spirit? Alan Jamieson examines these questions.
Paul encourages the Corinthians to be generous, graceful givers, and offers them two examples of such generosity.
How does God's grace help us hold it together? How does the grace revealed in Jesus keep us unified as a "priesthood of all believers"?
Despite his issues with the Corinthians, Paul still had a special place in his heart for them and much encouragement for them. Jo Robertson looks at why there was still cause for much of Paul's joy.
Mike Dodge continues our series on the classics with a further examination of the holy spirit and his role in our lives.
What does it mean to remain in Jesus? And what is meant by bearing fruit? TIm Perry examines Jesus metaphor of the vine and what it means for us.
Our series on 2 Corinthians continues, as we look at Paul's encouragement to the Corinthians to maintain their integrity, develop greater intimacy with each other, and refrain from idolatry.
Alan Jamieson looks at the three bodies "to die for" and what it means to experience the grace of God - his amazing grace and his awful grace.
Mike Dodge addresses the fundamental question: "who is the Holy Spirit?" and looks at various passages that show us who he is and what he does.
Murray Robertson talks about the push for global justice, the growing gap between rich and poor, the sexual slave trade, and how God expects his people to be at the forefront of eradicating these evils.
Our series on 2 Corinthians continues as we look at what it means to say we are treasures in jars of clay, and how our weaknesses can become God's strength.
A look at God's heartbeat for the poor and what it means for us to be biased towards the poor the same way God is.
Alan Jamieson looks at our local communities and how our neighbourhoods can and should be places where the love of God and neighbourhood are bound together
Brienne Davies continues our series on 2 Corinthians, by asking "what are we looking at?", what are focusing on in our walk with God.
Our series on 2 Corinthians continues with a look at the necessity for confronting sin and recognising true repentance and offering true forgiveness.
A look at the church in Antioch and how their passion for God's world informs our heart for the world.
Alan Jamieson brings our evangelism series to a close by looking at the great, universal story that our story is a part of.
Nathan and Bronwyn Graham share about their life living and working with the Pashtun people of Afghanistan
Alan Jamieson continues our series on evangelism, looking at why listening to the stories of others is often more important than trying to share our story.
One of the main accusations levelled again Christians is that we are hypocrites. Alan Jamieson looks at the truth of this accusation, but also looks at the other side of the coin too.
Alan Jamieson examines what it means to share our story with others, what counts in the telling, and the best way we can share it with others.
What was the early churchs idea of worship, and what did Paul mean in his letter to the church in Rome when he said to offer our bodies as living sacrifices? Alan Jamieson continues our series on Worship and Mission.
In the final in our series on Worship and Mission Alan Jamieson looks at how God's story and our story ends, and what it means to be a part of God's kingdom and God's kin-dom.
A look at the mission of Jesus, how it wasn't something new but a continuation of God's mission, and how we are to continue in this mission.
What we call the Great Commission is often seen as the beginning of mission. As well as showing how this is emphatically not the case, Dr Bob Hall takes us through the real meaning of this well-known passage.
Alan Jamieson looks at the reason why we sing and the reason why it is so important that we do.
A look at the role and voice of the prophets, and their cries to the people on God's behalf, with special emphasis on the prophet Isaiah's experience of the glory of God.
Alan Jamieson looks at Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple, and what that means for the worship of God and his mission.
A look at how mission is fuel for the worship of God, through the lives of Moses and, more recently, Bishop Desmond Tutu.
In this first of a series on Worship and Mission, Alan Jamieson looks at the connection between the two, the importance of both in relation to creation and new creation, and challenges us to enlarge our thinking.
Dr Bob Hall looks at the bible to find the beginnings of mission and correct some common misconceptions about where mission starts.
Where does the Holy Spirit come from, where is the Holy Spirit going and how do we move in the flow of the Holy Spirit.
Mike speaks on one of the Gifts of the Spirit, "Prophecy" and unpacks how God speaks to people.
The Whole Body being naturally supernatural and in our weakness and ordinariness, ministering to one another and others.