"Sunday Morning" Tagged Sermons (Page 34)

"Sunday Morning" Tagged Sermons (Page 34)

Sunday Morning

The Power Of Words

History is littered with examples of the power of words. Famous speeches, heartfelt letters, words of comfort , biting criticism… The results of our words can last a lifetime, for better or for worse, and don’t we know it! In the book of Proverbs we find much wise advice about how we should and shouldn’t speak in many different contexts of life. This wisdom is startlingly practical and embarrassingly convicting. Luke 6:45 states: “Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks”. Ultimately what we say betrays who we really are. To be able to control our tongues requires more than will-power. It needs “heart surgery”. And only the Holy Spirit can change us in this way so that our words consistently honour God and build up others.

The Marks of a True Friend

As the modern world becomes more and more “connected” through social media, there is a paradoxical increase in loneliness. More and more people today are looking for friends, even virtual friendships through online sites. God made us to live in relationships and enjoy the company of friends. In the book of Proverbs there is some excellent practical advice about how we should relate to one another as friends, and in today’s message Pastor Murray explores some of this teaching. However, there is only one person who can be the perfect Friend. Jesus referred to Himself as “the friend of sinners” and He proved this by dying for us. In the words of the old hymn: “What a friend we have in Jesus”! Is He your friend? He’s inviting you today!

Giving God our Leftovers

Our lives are often busy and full to the brim. We have a myriad of responsibilities to attend to, and a never ending choice of entertainment options. Too often we wonder how we are going to get everything done. Listen as Pastor Dave shares from Malachi 1:6-14 about the dangers of offering God our leftovers.

A Great Resolution…

The New Year for many is a time for planning, preparation and new resolutions. Listen as Pastor Dave looks at what we might learn from the Apostle Paul’s great resolution in Philippians 3:7-14.

The Case for God

The famous Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, the first man into space in 1961, made the sarcastic comment on his return to earth: “I looked for God but couldn’t find him”. Atheists love to taunt Christians about the lack of hard evidence for God. In Psalm 8 we have a powerful response to this skepticism. The evidence for God is all around us… if only we will see it! From the vastness of the universe to the cry of the tiniest baby creation speaks of His greatness. And so do people, like us, made individually in God’s image with their special place in God’s world. Psalm 8 calls the doubter to reconsider, and even points to the “perfect man” (Jesus) who would one day perfectly display God’s majesty to a broken and skeptical world.

Joseph’s great discovery

The story of Christmas focusses strongly on the baby Jesus, Mary, the shepherds and the wise men, but what do we make of Joseph? Often he is seen as a support player in the narrative. But is that all? In today’s message Pastor Murray takes a closer look at this intriguing man – his background, the dilemma he faced on learning about Mary’s pregnancy, and the wonderful discovery he made when he realised the true identity of the baby… God with us (Immanuel)… Jesus, the One who saves us from our sins. Joseph, along with Mary, came to believe in Jesus. Have you? Surely this is the best reason to celebrate Christmas!

Receiving the King of Glory

Listen as we consider what Psalm 24 has to teach us, worshippers in Brisbane in 2015. Let us think about what it means for us to properly prepare for and then receive the King of Glory.

A hopeless situation

By the end of the book of 1 Samuel, Israel finds itself in a hopeless situation. Saul, the king upon whom they have pinned their hopes, is dead and humiliated, a failure. Israel could now see how hopeless things were apart from God’s intervention. Only once they understood this truth would they able to understand the hope that they had in David, the king in waiting. The Christian life is a little like the history of Israel at this point. In order to know the hope that Jesus brings we must first know the weight of the hopelessness of our situation before God. Our sin means we are distant from God. But there is a great source of hope in Christ. Is he your source of hope?

A Different Kind Of King

Leaders are generally rated by how they perform in a crisis. By this measure, King Saul was a miserable failure. But the king-in-waiting stands in stark contrast. When faced with yet another massive crisis, David showed his true colours by casting himself upon God for strength and guidance. And when God delivered him and his people, he was quick to give all the glory to God and share the rewards with others. Here was a king who would rule for God and under God, and for the good of his people. Compared with Saul the future looked bright. Unfortunately David was not the perfect king that Israel longed for, but 1000 years later that King did come ….. the Lord Jesus Christ. He rules with righteousness and justice, and He gives rather than takes from His people. In fact, He has given His life for them! We all need this King. Is He ruling in your life today?

Flirting With The Enemy

Tucked away in the stories of most people’s lives there are usually some details which we wish weren’t there. The heroes of the Bible are no exception …. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses etc. In today’s message we read one of these chapters in David’s life. After years of faithfully holding on to God while on the run from Saul, he started to lose confidence in God and this led him to lie and compromise his integrity. He deserved God’s judgement. Instead, what God gave him was “amazing grace”. There is more than a bit of David in all of us, and we deserve to have our sins exposed and punished. But God’s grace is for us, too. Because of Jesus we don’t have to live with our guilt. That’s why God sent His only Son into the world …. to free us from our sin and give us a second chance. As you look at the story of your life, do you need to flee to the God of grace today?

The Medium and the warnings…

Where we turn to in a crisis can tell us a lot about the default state of our hearts. In 1 Samuel 28 we see the sad state of Saul’s heart towards God. His heart had become hard towards the things of God. Listen as Pastor Dave shares some warnings we must heed from Saul’s encounter with the medium in Endor so that our hearts do not become hard towards the things of God.