What Jesus Says to a Complacent Church

Conflict has always been part of the human story.  We can see it in Genesis, the first book in the Bible.  Everyone, in their lifetime, will experience conflict, and our conflicts don’t always have a predictable outcome. Sometimes conflict brings out the worst in us and keeps us from living life the way God intended. If we want to live the life and the adventure that God has purposed for us, then we can’t be buried by conflict. 
This morning we’ll look at how we “make every effort to live in peace”. Listen now as Pastor Peter unpacks his thoughts.

Our relationships are always an adventure; all of them, but especially the deeper ones - partner, parent, companion, friend.  And the deeper relationships, the ones that are part of God’s purpose for our lives, require more of us.  So this morning, we’re looking at some actions the Bible says will help us.

Let’s just admit it, that busyness and pace and rush and activity and fatigue, are all enemies of our lives.  Many of us pack more into our schedules, and try to commit to more, than any previous generation, or culture.  We’re obsessed with going faster. Busyness may make us look important, but it cripples our relationships. Busyness may feed our egos, but it starves our souls.  

The beginning of a New Year is a great time to resolve to go deeper into God’s faith adventure for your life and be less busy on things that aren’t so important. Listen now as Peter unpacks his thoughts.

Sometimes the beginning of a new year is exciting, as we look forward with a sense of anticipation. Sometimes though, it can also be daunting – especially if last year was a tough one. We can feel weak, tired and even exhausted. 

And if you’re feeling a little less than enthusiastic about the year ahead, then you certainly are not the only person on the planet that feels that way. Even the strongest among us sometimes feel tired and weak. Because God is a God of new beginnings and He has a fresh start planned for you on so many different levels, as you set of into 2016.   

Listen now as Berni unpacks his thoughts.

If I was to ask you what the Gospel is, would you be able to answer? I think a greater question is how is it possible for the message of the Gospel to change my life and impact me for Eternity?

Some foreign visitors found baby Jesus sometime after his birth. Were there only 3? Were they kings? Astrologers? Priests? Is there symbolism in the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Were they there at the same time as the shepherds? Was there a real star that led them on their journey?

This story should encourage us to look anew at what assumptions we have and to look for truth not just within our familiar frame of reference but to see if God is speaking to us in an unexpected way. Are we complacent in our faith like the religious leaders in the story? Listen now as Paul unpacks his thoughts.

What is the greatest speech that you have ever heard? Do you listen to speeches? Maybe the State of the Nation address? Or a specific graduation speech? In this day and age the power of the tongue in rhetoric has the ability to even bring nations to war or peace.

What is the purpose? Why preaching? Why did the God of the Universe decide that that would be one of the major ways that He would communicate with the people of the world? Listen now as Pierre unpacks his thoughts.

You’d think it would be pretty hard for any one here in Sydney, Australia to miss Christmas. Is it possible to miss Christmas?  Well, yes.  We can miss it today, for the same three reasons people missed the first Christmas - busyness, familiarity and fear.        

Christmas is surrounded by culture. Sometimes, we find all the cultural stuff exhausting.  We long to find a simpler, more meaningful celebration of Christmas.

For All The Saints - Listen now to hear Pastor Peter unpack his thoughts