Wisdom for Sex
There is no doubt we live in a sexualised world. If anything the message of this sexualised world is that sex is your right, sex is there to be experimented and explored without any real boundaries. This world also seems to think that Christianity’s sexual ethic is oppressive and restrictive. Against this backdrop the Proverbs will give us a reason that God forbids sexual sin and calls us to a covenant love that is for our joy and His glory.…
Mike Westhuyzen: The Power of the Word
We are living in a time of rapid social and cultural change as we witness the turning of society away from long held Christian values. The recent census data shows fast growth of Australians claiming “No Religion”, and the steady decline of Christianity. And yet it is also true that the season we find ourselves in is hardly unique to us. Throughout history, God’s people have been here before and have witnessed times of amazing gospel impact in a godless…
Wisdom for Work
In Australian culture we make a habit of grumbling about our jobs; it is fashionable to bag out our boss, whine about how busy we are, and to do anything we can to get out of work. We are the nation of sickies, long weekends and the dream of early retirement. But at the same time, deep down inside we are addicted to our work… there is something about it that causes us to sacrifice almost anything (time, relationships, health)…
Alan Stanley: Do you get love?
We can be the most on point people when it comes to the practices of our faith, bible reading, church attendance, ministry involvement, and yet still completely miss the point of what following Jesus is all about. Alan Stanley from BST takes us through how we can be so blind to the primary call of Jesus on our lives.
A Conversation About Sin
Last week we began our series on Wisdom Literature by unpacking the joys of wisdom. This week we take a look at the flipside of wisdom: foolishness, wickedness or sin. Because sin tends to be a negative thought in society, it is something that we don’t like to talk about. But for those who want to pursue true wisdom, an understanding of sin, and an appropriate way to talk about it, are essential. Join us as we open up this…
On Being Wise
Our series on Wisdom Literature is called “Every Good Path” but if you asked our generation for wisdom they might say, “Every path is good.” It might seem like this relativism sets people free and makes life easier because there are now so many options when it comes to what is right. But instead all these options have made us the most confused generation of all time. More than ever we need to know what it means to be wise…
Should’ve gone to speck savers
Everyday we make judgments. Left from right, guilty or not guilty, winner or loser. Even if we aren’t aware of it, we all judge something or someone at some point in our lives. So, it might come as a surprise to find that Jesus commands his disciples not to judge, lest they be judged themselves! What on earth does Jesus mean by setting this standard of living? Is Jesus really telling us that we should never, ever judge anyone or…
Unnatural Love
Followers of Christ are to be defined by their characteristic behaviour of loving enemies and doing good to others without expecting anything in return. As Christians we need to be living the life that Jesus calls us to. This sermon helps to show us what that looks like, what it doesn’t look like, and exactly why we need to be doing that.
The Community that Clings to Jesus
As the preacher concludes his sermon it seems as though he is just spraying out a whole bunch of rules or laws that he expects the people to embrace. But we have to remember his overarching passion to call the people to cling to Jesus. Because these rules and laws are not a regime of regulations being enforced on the people, but they are ways in which the community of faith can help one another cling to Jesus.
The Unshakable Hope
All of us are looking for a kingdom, not a stereotypical kingdom with a castle and a mote, but we want to set our lives up to be safe, prosperous, and secure. The people of the first century were likewise tempted to build a life of security and safety for themselves but because they had chosen to follow Jesus their lives had become less secure. So the preacher, knowing their fears and insecurities, calls to them with the glories of…