This week we commence an extended preaching series through Paul’s letter to the Romans. Luther described the book of Romans as “the soul’s daily bread” which could “never be read or meditated too much and too well.” As we consider Paul’s greeting in the first seven verses we will hear how the unfolding revelation of the gospel of God, culminating in the death and resurrection of Christ, has always been with the view to ‘bring about the obedience of faith’ among the nations for the sake of Christ’s name. Such is the power and purpose of this gospel – the […]

Bob Ricks will be preaching on Sunday 27 December. He writes, “There is a wide range of responses from those who met the baby Jesus, who had been declared to be Saviour, King and Shepherd of his people. Many waited with faith and hope for this one to come: that God would be revealed and His salvation would be shown throughout. However, not all waited with joy for His coming, and many would not receive Him as the Christ of God, seeking to destroy him instead. Wonderfully, God is never thwarted in His purpose and Christ through the cross accomplished […]

On Christmas Day we will focus on the heightened expectation surrounding the birth of Jesus due to the angelic pronouncements who declared this boy-child would be the Saviour, King and Shepherd of his people. Many waited with faith and hope for this one to come: that God would be revealed and His salvation would be shown throughout. However, not all waited with joy for His coming, and many would not receive Him as the Christ of God, seeking to destroy him instead. Wonderfully, God is never thwarted in His purpose and Christ through the cross accomplished God’s salvation. We too, […]

Last week we heard how, in the face of suffering, we were to arm ourselves with the same attitude that Christ had, living not for ourselves but for the will of God. This week, from 1 Peter 4:7-19, in light of Christ’s imminent return, we are urged to love and serve one another with the various gifts God has given, even as we endure persecution from outside of the church. As Peter concludes this central section of his letter, we are reminded that all we do – our conduct among unbelievers, how we endure suffering, and our love for another […]

We have been reminded already this summer just how devastating a bush fire can be, and how quickly one can cause havoc. In our passage this week, just as the CFS urges us to be ‘bushfire ready’ and have our ‘action plans’ in place, Peter urges us to be prepared and ready, not for a bush fire, but for suffering for the sake of Christ. “Arm yourselves,” he says, “with the same way of thinking” that Christ displayed when he suffered in the flesh. Living for the will of God, and not for our own selfish pleasure, is not always […]

This week in 1 Peter 3:1-7 we are urged to take the example of Christ’s reverent submission into our homes, and in particular, our marriages. Wives are to adorn themselves with the precious and imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Husbands are to honour and understand their wives, recognising they are ‘co-heirs’ of the grace of life. The goal of such living is far more than a happy home – it involves eternal matters such as the conversion of one’s spouse and our prayers being unhindered. Many around us today consider ‘submission’ to be a four letter word, […]

We take a short break from 1 Peter for the next two weeks and Grant will be preaching on ‘Knowing God’. For the first of these he will speaking from John 17:1-14. He writes, “It is a remarkable thing to say that we know God. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 shows that he knew God as Father and was praying that we would know him in the same way. If you read the first half of this prayer in John 17, note the way he talks about the glory, the name and the word of God. These words open up […]

Having reminded his readers of the great mercy of God, their salvation and the living hope they were born into through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Peter goes on to instruct them how they are to live now, in the midst of their struggles. The various trials and suffering we endure in this life are no excuse for disobedience or unholy living for the children of God. We are to conduct ourselves with reverent fear towards God our Father, and with earnest love towards one another. And this, we are to do with our hope set fully […]

This week we begin a new series through Peter’s first letter, written to groups of believers dispersed throughout Asia Minor, and struggling in their trials and sufferings. For their encouragement, Peter reminds them of the great blessings and privileges they have, having being born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He doesn’t ignore their suffering, nor does he play it down, but he does remind them that it is only ‘for a little while’, whereas the promises and privileges which are theirs in Christ are eternal- imperishable, undefiled and unfading. This letter […]

Darian Jones will be speaking to us this weekend on the theme of glory. He writes, “What is it the world is repelled by and cannot face? What has been given to the church but cannot be defined? The answer is true glory. This true glory is the glory of God’s being, his revealed holiness, which is not merely notional, but relational. It cannot be gained through our efforts but is given and revealed to us through Christ and his cross. Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed […]