Welcome to the City North Baptist sermon archive! We offer most sermons online within a week of the message being given.
The danger of resisting God
Is God relevant in the 21st century? Does He have any power? Should we fear Him? Should we take any notice of what He says in the Bible? These questions are extremely relevant today because if the answer is “NO” then Christianity is a waste of time. On the other hand, if the answer is “YES”, that has huge implications. Pharaoh tried to brush God off …. over and over again as God sent one plague after another. Every encounter ended badly for Pharaoh and his people. Yet his pride and stubbornness refused to admit defeat, and his heart became increasingly hardened. This was not so much a battle with Moses but a battle with the one true God, Yahweh. Still today this God is real and very powerful, and he will one day judge us all. Beware the sinful, unbelieving heart.
Kids holiday service: It matters who you’re with
Kids holiday service: Jesus has given us a big job to do, making disciples. We must remember that it’s Jesus’ big promise which makes the big job possible. He promises to be with us always, to the end of the age.
Peter Francis: Don’t waste the grace
In this message we look at Jesus’ gracious second call to the Apostle Peter to “Follow him”, even after Peter had three times denied him. Much had changed during the past 3 ½ years between this call and Jesus’ first call to him beside the Sea of Galilee. What caused Peter to finally come to understand the gift of God’s grace? What caused him to realise this gift of grace was not just for him to receive, but for him to pass on to others, so that they in turn might become the recipients of this amazing grace? In this message we seek to find some answers and at the same time find much that challenges our hearts about what it means to live in and by this grace.
Dealing with disappointment
All of us experience disappointment in life. Tonight’s passage helps us think about how Christians can understand, express and move past the disappointments that they encounter.
Russell Matthews: Criteria for church members
John gives in this passage 4 criteria for evaluating members – believing, loving, obeying and prevailing.
God revealed
Revelation changes the way we view things. Let us consider how God’s revelation of himself changes the way we view our identity, our problems and our future.
The blessings of giving
As a follow-on from last week’s message, we continue exploring Paul’s teaching on giving. For at least some of us, giving does not come easily and, if we’re honest, we are not generous and cheerful. So in today’s message we look at some of the blessings that flow from generous giving. Paul tells us that when we give with the right motives it is like sowing seeds – seeds of righteousness – that will one day produce a harvest in our lives. In particular it liberates us from the bondage of materialism! It also results in thankfulness and praise to God, and strengthens relationships between the giver and the receiver. But most of all it reminds us of the ultimate gift we have been given by God – the Lord Jesus Christ! Have you received Him?
The rescuer
Listen as we meet Moses, Israel’s imperfect rescuer, who points us forward to our perfect rescuer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The grace of giving
The question of money is always a touchy one among Christians. How much we earn, how much we give, and what we do with our money is “strictly private” in our culture, so it is with some trepidation that pastor’s raise the issue, for fear that their motives might be misconstrued. In actual fact, Jesus spoke often about money, and Paul is very upfront in today’s passage. In it he lays down a number of clear principles that help us think through the whole question of giving. Essentially he makes the case that giving is a natural, joyful response to the riches we receive through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than a burdensome duty, it is a sheer privilege to be able to share our resources with others in need. Is there someone God might want you to help financially?
Refugees to slaves
As we begin the story of Exodus, we encounter three themes which set the scene for the rest of the story: God’s promises, Pharaoh’s opposition, and Israel’s pain. These themes help us understand how the story of Exodus has become the story for all Christians.
A broken relationship restored
Relationships are an essential part of life. We are created as social beings. Yet how often do we see relationships break down – marriages, families, neighbours, workmates, long-term friends, fellow Christians in the church… and so on. In today’s passage we see the great apostle Paul discussing his severely damaged relationship with the folk in the church at Corinth. Clearly, he was deeply affected by this breakdown between them. How did he deal with it? How did they respond? What can we learn? Listen in as Pastor Murray unpacks this chapter and challenges us to consider more carefully the state of our relationships in light of it.
Mark Hockey: Hope for salvation, perspective to persevere
How can Christians live amidst trials and suffering in life? By setting our eyes on Jesus for our hope, our strength, and our salvation to come.