Post Category: sermon summary notes

We tend not to think of Jesus as being offensive. Yet, in his own day, he clearly was. People didn't like being called hypocrites, or being told that it was their hearts that were the problem. But do we like hearing that any more today than they did then? And if Jesus says the problem of the human condition is the human heart - what's the solution? We can't give ourselves ...

Power corrupts... but why? And what power could work in our lives in a way that, rather than corrupt us, it transforms us? In our Morning Service we will continue looking at the Gospel of Matthew: 14:1-21: Two Kings and Two Feasts. In our Evening Service we will conclude our series in Judges: 19-21: Who Needs a King? ...

Jesus tells two parables about treasure hidden in a field and a pearl of great price, and then proceeds to talk of the final judgement. So what's the connection? In our Morning Service(10:30am) we will continue looking at Matthew's Gospel, chapter 13. In our Evening Service(6:30pm) we look at the Book of Judgeschapters 17-18: The King and Priest We Need. Both services w...

The problem of evil is something that can undermine the faith of many. And yet it's also a problem for those who don't believe. After all - why is evil a problem if there are no moral absolutes and no God? So, given that evil is a problem for believer and unbeliever alike, what does Jesus have to say about it? In our Morning Service(10:30am) we will continue looking at M...

If it's good to ask questions (and it is), and if it's good to seek evidence for belief (and it is), why does Jesus give the religous leaders of his day such a hard time when they asked him for proof? And what does his response have to teach us in our secular, sceptical age? In our Morning Service we will continue looking at the Gospel of Matthew, 12:38-50: Sceptics, Sign...

We have little problem with the idea of a God of Love, but a God who judges.... well, that's a different matter. In fact, some would say that love and judgment cannot go together. And yet, Jesus saw things differently. He went from pronouncing curses on cities to offering rest for the weary and heavy laden. How can you reconcile those two things? In our Morning Service we...

At a crisis point in his life, John the Baptist doubted. At a crisis point in the life of Israel, Deborah didn't. Yet in both cases, God came through. What can we learn from these two people? In our Sunday Morning service we will continue looking at the Gospel of Matthew, 11:1-19 - Dealing With Your Doubts In our Sunday Evening service we will be looking at the Book of J...

Whether you are a Christian or not, the character of Jesus of Nazareth is compelling. But he is also divisive. That is no less true today than in his own day. So if you want to imitate his compassion and truth speaking in the world, how are you supposed to handle the negative responses you will get? In our Sunday Morning Service we will be looking at Matthew's Gospel, Mat...

This Sunday we will begin two new series. In the Morning Service we will return to the Gospel of Matthew and see how Jesus' compassion for the world moves his followers out into the world: Proclamation, Pushback, Promise In the Evening Service we'll start looking at the book of Judges - and how, despite a people's repeated failures, God keeps coming back to rescue them: F...

Someone once said that the church is the only organisation that does not exist for its members. That's not quite true. As we have seen over the last few weeks, God's vision for his church - his people - is that we Gather, and that we Grow. But in some sense it is true. God's vision is also that we Go! This Sunday is our missions sunday and we will be considering what it ...