Sermons from April 2016
Rejoice with me!
Baptism is one of the great symbols of the Christian faith, representing both the reality of sins forgiven, and the fact that a Christian has died to the old life of sin and been raised to new life with Christ. And our rejoicing tonight, as we witness several baptisms, is also a symbol which represents the fact that God himself rejoices with his angels when sinners repent. What a great privilege it is to rejoice together as we consider the good work God has done in these young people!
Putting faith into practice
Despite what we sometimes think, doctrine is important. Things like doctrinal statements and creeds set a foundation for our faith. The first 9+ chapters of the book of Hebrews are important, meaty doctrine. But doctrine that is not translated into Christian living is useless. So in today’s message we see a distinct shift in focus to our practical response as we absorb and process all that Christ has done for us. The writer throws out three big challenges, which urge us to think seriously about the way we relate to God, the way we see the future, and the way we care for one another. In particular, Pastor Murray raises the touchy issue of church attendance. Of course, it’s good for us to get to church, but it’s also vitally important because of how it enables us to “spur each other on toward love and good deeds”.
True Spirituality: What it means to live the Christian life
Listen as Pastor Dave shares from Colossians 3 about our new life in Christ. True spirituality is found in Jesus and our living the Christian life means living in light of this.
Staying Strong as the Battle Goes On
Why is it that some churches survive and flourish while others struggle and die? Of course, there is no simplistic answer to that question, but it is still worthwhile asking it. The great apostle Paul planted many churches and longed to see them staying strong, even in the face of stiff opposition. As he concludes his letter to the church at Ephesus, he gives a profound challenge which can be applied to every church in every generation, including our church today. In short he tells us that we are in a serious spiritual battle with the devil, so we must utilise the resources which God himself provides if we are to remain strong in this battle. Listen in as Pastor Murray spells out the “armour” we need to withstand the “flaming arrows” aimed against us, so that as God’s people we can hold our ground and keep growing into the future.
Bill Colyer: More Joy!
Often it seems that joy is hard to find and harder to keep. God invites us to a joy that thrives in hard places! What gives this kind of joy?
A Fresh Start with Jesus
All of us have dark pages (or even chapters) in our life story. How we wish we could tear those pages out! How we wish we live that part of life over again. The disciple Peter was in this situation when Jesus confronted him on the beach at Galilee that morning a couple of weeks after the resurrection. Peter would have been dreading this moment after denying Jesus so blatantly three times on the night before the crucifixion. In this message we see how beautifully Jesus dealt with Peter… helping him face his sin, giving him a chance to declare again his love and loyalty, restoring him and recommissioning him for future ministry. This is a story of hope for every one of us. Do you need a second chance? Then be encouraged as Pastor Murray opens up this final chapter in our series from the Gospel of John.
Having an impact on the world
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that Christians are called to have an impact on the world by being salt and light. Listen as we consider these two metaphors, and what it means for us to be salt and light in the world in our daily lives.
A Doubter Becomes a Believer
The story of “Doubting Thomas” is set in Christian concrete, but deep down there is more than a bit of Thomas in every true believer. We are like the father of the boy Jesus healed, who said: “I believe; help my unbelief!”. Thomas was cautious by nature. Faith did not come easily to him. But at least he was open to becoming convinced of the truth about Jesus’ resurrection. That’s more than can be said for many people today. We have the eye-witness testimonies recorded for us in our Bibles. We have 2000 years of personal testimonies of people who claim to have encountered the risen Jesus. And Jesus is throwing out the same challenge today: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Like Thomas, is it time for you to “stop doubting and believe”?