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The secret of true wisdom
There are many people these days who are seriously smart (or think they’re smart!). But there’s a big difference between being smart and being wise. In the previous chapter, Paul has been making the case that true wisdom can only be found by believing in Jesus Christ and the message of the cross, which many apparently intelligent people think is plain foolishness. So how does a a skeptic become a convinced Christian? Today’s passage provides the answer. It is only…
God’s power through weak people
The way that God works has always challenged and contradicted the expectations of human beings. In our pride we expect God to conform to our expectations. So qualities like power and wisdom become our way of impressing God. How totally wrong we are! God’s salvation is for those who know they are weak and helpless and utterly dependent on Christ to save them. And to go with this, God uses people who are weak and humble to be His gospel…
Some lessons about faith
The question – “What does it mean to have faith” – is crucial to understanding what it means to be a Christian. As the Bible says, the opposite of walking by faith is to walk by sight. Faith by its very nature requires an element of risk. And that’s where the rubber hits the road when a person becomes a Christian. It means being willing to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, for life today and tomorrow, and for eternity. …
Rotten Religion
In this story, the superficial, hypocritical, rotten religion of the Pharisees is on full display. It challenges us to consider whether there are signs of rottenness in our faith and to repent if there is. Matthew 15:1-20
Unity in the church
Unity among Christians and within churches is a precious thing, but too often misunderstanding and friction push us apart. With the temptation to become followers of different personalities, different brands of teaching, and different causes (not to mention our tendency to link ourselves to people we “like”), the risk of factions forming is very real. Today’s message looks at the key to establishing and maintaining true unity. Put simply, it’s all centred on our common faith in Jesus Christ. The…
The King’s Identity
In these stories, Matthew weaves a picture of Jesus for us which reminds us of his true identity, and challenges us to view and respond to him rightly. Matthew 13:53-14:36
God’s Grand Design
Churches come in many different styles and sizes. Some are strong and healthy. Others are struggling. The church in Corinth was one of these broken churches. But the apostle Paul could write to them and positively affirm several great truths that ought to be true of every genuine church. We need to remind ourselves often that the church, including “our church” with all it’s faults and failings, really belongs to God. And He will still work through it for His…
The Kingdom Parables
These six parables taught by Jesus, address some of the misunderstandings and false expectations about the Kingdom of Heaven. They show that God’s Kingdom, then and now, is a kingdom of Justice, Growth, and Power, more valuable than anything the world can offer. Matthew 13:24-50
The Parable of the Soils
The Parable of the Soils reminds us that there are many ways that people will respond to the gospel. It challenges us to think about how we respond to the gospel. Do we have hard hearts, shallow hearts, strangled hearts…or fertile hearts which produce much fruit? Matthew 13:1-23
Affluent, Comfortable and Destitute – the church at Laodicea
Churches come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are growing, some are not. Some are alive, some are dead. Some are healthy, some are not. But whatever we may think about our churches, there is one opinion that does matter, and that’s what Jesus thinks. The church at Laodicea gave every appearance of being a successful church but what Jesus said was devastating. In this message Pastor Murray looks more closely at Jesus’ diagnosis and the warnings it contains…
Small, weak and faithful – the church at Philadelphia
With so much attention these days on mega-churches, it’s easy to forget that the vast majority of churches around the world are actually quite small, and many of them are actually struggling for existence from week to week (like the church at Philadelphia). In today’s passage we see what Christ has to say to these dear people, and His words are filled with love and encouragement. It is a clear reminder that ‘church’ is not all about size, numbers, budgets…