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02 Turning trials into triumphs |
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Sunday, 17 June 2007 |
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1 Peter 1:1-9 Seeing trials as opportunities James confronts us from the very beginning. Consider trials with joy. Christ’s Kingdom is the upside down kingdom and so we should not be surprised to find that we are to have an attitude of joy in the midst of hardship. The reason why we can do this is because we understand that hardship has a purpose and that purpose has a process and that process will make us spiritually mature. As we grow in our Christian maturity we will grow in our ability to turn trials into triumphs. the Rev |
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03 Enjoy Wisdom |
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Sunday, 01 July 2007 |
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Proverbs 2 Live in the real world Humans have a remarkable ability to interpret the world the way they want to. This is a fancy way of saying that we like to live in our own fantasy world; where we are popular, successful, and important. God uses suffering to confront our fantasy with reality. Suffering is too valuable to waste. Next time your world falls apart, don’t try and put it all back together again but ask God to give you wisdom. When your world falls apart you have an opportunity to build something different, something better. Wisdom will help you live in the real world. the Rev |
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04 Enjoy Financial Freedom |
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Sunday, 08 July 2007 |
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Psalm 49 Don’t fight it Money is like fear. The more you think about it the more it consumes you. Giving it away won’t free you because you’ll only worry about not having it. Real financial freedom comes from enjoying real worth, real security and real power. Money cannot give you any of these things. Listen to this message and be encouraged to get involved in ministry that won’t cost you anything but potentially will change the world. the Rev |
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05 Enjoy God's Favour |
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Sunday, 15 July 2007 |
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James 1:1-12 Is suffering worth it? “Nothing’s ever easy” expresses the grind of life. Sometimes when the wheels really fall off we begin to wonder whether something is worth doing. For example you may try and fix something yourself but only seem to make things worse. Sometimes when things get tough we can feel like giving up. James is a pastor who wants to encourage Christians who are under pressure to keep going and not to give up. He encourages Christians by giving them very good reasons why it’s worth enduring trials for God. the Rev The Rev is taking the next two weeks off holidays and we want to give our technical team a well earned break so that’s all from me for two Sundays (God willing). |
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06 Overcome temptation |
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Sunday, 05 August 2007 |
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Jeremiah 17:1-14 Facing Addiction Addiction is the habit of giving into temptation. Temptation is the enticement for desire to go astray from God’s will. To face temptation and addiction you need to understand its origin, its process and its consequence. the Rev  Mmmmm Chocolate
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07 Pre-Heavenly Beings |
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Sunday, 12 August 2007 |
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James 1:1-18 Pre-Heavenly Beings God has done this really wacky thing where he has started to change people into what they will be like in heaven. In heaven there will be no tears, no anger, no suffering, no pain, no despair or depression, no addiction. In heaven there will be perfect fellowship, friendship with God, people, angels and the new world. This message seeks to encourage believers to enjoy this good life now by not being deceived, by valuing God’s gifts and by living as God’s Pre-Heavenly beings. the Rev |
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08 Bite your tongue |
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Sunday, 19 August 2007 |
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James 3:1-12 Your tongue is like a sports car; go easy on the gas Lamborghinis are absolutely awesome cars. Ridiculous and outlandish design and just as much power. They make a statement by just being there and they have a reputation for being a handful. Our tongues are just like that, very powerful and easy to crash. If you would like some help getting your tongue under control then this message is for you. the Rev  Rev's dream car |
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09 Start afresh |
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Sunday, 26 August 2007 |
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Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Nitro-glycerine and Dog Poo Anger mixed with words is as volatile as nitro-glycerine and as messy as stepping in Dog Poo. It’s very easy to blow people up with our words and make a terrible mess in our relationships. So much of what we say stinks. Wouldn’t it be good to be able to start afresh, to change from the inside out and renew your relationships? Well you can, listen to this message to find out how. the Rev  What happens when I open my mouth |
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10 Grow Up |
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Sunday, 02 September 2007 |
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Matthew 7:24-27, James 1:19-25 Feeelinnngs, nothing more than feeeelings Many of us do what we feel. We don’t feel like doing the ironing so we don’t until we get to a point where we feel ironing is better than going down the street in our underwear. If you are tired of the topsy turvy world of a life run by feelings then it’s time to grow up. You should grow up in a way that frees you from doing what you feel. This means you can love someone even though you don’t feel like it. You can do the ironing; get that assignment done early because you are going to do it for the right reason. Real freedom is a life lived for God and others, not to keep your feelings happy. Don’t let feelings wreck your life, be a doer of God’s word and be blessed. the Rev  I don't feel like ironing |
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11 Be established |
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Sunday, 09 September 2007 |
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Psalm 146, James 1:21-27 Practice Pure Religion Human beings are religious by nature. It takes atheism (a form of anti-religion) to knock and to keep religion out of a person’s life. Most people believe in something spiritual, lots have a particular religion, Buddhism is popular in the West, Islam and Hinduism is prominent in the East. But is your religion of real help. Religions that don’t change who you are on the inside are only cosmetic and shallow. There are three tests you can apply to see whether your religion is pleasing to God. These are your personal behaviour (tongue), your social concern (look after the helpless) and your inner values (not corrupted by the world). the Rev  Be established like an Oak Tree |
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12 Faith Loves - Faith Works |
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Sunday, 16 September 2007 |
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Matthew 20:20-28 and James 2:1-13 Gladiator without the clamour Ancient Rome was not walk in the park unless you were a well connected rich male. The rich could exploit the poor without the poor having the right to legal action, although the rich could take legal action against the poor. Those who were not citizens had even less rights. Animals had more rights than slaves. Every country has its own class system. This message collides head on with the idea that the rich are better than the poor. This is confronting for us who enjoy the comforts that our middle class gives us. The challenge is to give due respect to everyone regardless of their social standing. the Rev  Gladiators were of no human value |
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13 Avoid Favouritism |
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Sunday, 23 September 2007 |
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Romans 5:1-11 and James 2:1-13 Lounge room sermons Today’s sermon is brought to you from my lounge room away from home. We’ve toned this down a lot since I injured my knee yesterday. Getting injured is a great way of becoming the centre of attention; everyone wants to know what happened and others are happy to be at your beck and call. Unfortunately seeking favouritism has its costs. Unless you’re prepared to injure your knee you’re going to have to earn someone’s favour by being like them, being kind to them and basically sucking up to them. This message seeks to help you free yourself from this dependency for people’s favour. the Rev  Sermon from a lounge room |
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14 Avoid Favouritism Part II |
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Sunday, 30 September 2007 |
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1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and James 2:1-13 A peer pressure special We often connect our self worth with the type of friends we have around us. If we are friends with those who are cool, or influential then it makes us feel important, successful and accepted. But God says that the poor of this world are chosen by him to be rich in faith and it is they who will inherit the Kingdom. So why invest so much of our energy into people who don’t really care for us for who we are. Rather than trying to have the best of friends around you God wants you to be the best of friends to those who are poor in your eyes. It might be those who aren’t popular at school, or those who have menial tasks at work. Life is more about being a friend than having friends. the Rev  Will you be the my Friend? |
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15 Faith Loves |
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Sunday, 07 October 2007 |
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Luke 10:25-37 Changing self esteem to Christ esteem We are all encouraged to be self absorbed. For a long time we have been told that to be happy and healthy we need to have a good self esteem. Much has been written to encourage those who struggle with low self esteem. Despite all of this self absorption God says, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” He doesn’t say love yourself so that you can love your neighbour. Freedom comes from being absorbed by Christ, having Christ esteem rather than self esteem. the Rev  High self esteem, meeow |
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16 Image God |
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Sunday, 14 October 2007 |
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What is my purpose for being alive? Every single person has the same purpose for being alive. God made us in his image, in his likeness and so our purpose is to be like God. We are to ‘image’ God in our work and our relationships. For example God reveals himself as a Father, brother, friend, servant, shepherd, King and many more. So we are to reflect God in the way that we are a Father (mother), brother, friend, employer or employee. This message is about encouraging you to move away from self interest so that you can become more like God. the Rev  Image God's kindness |
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17 Do Mercy |
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Sunday, 21 October 2007 |
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Matthew 18:21-35 Be the difference that changes the world It is a big mistake to think you have to be powerful, influential, beautiful and successful to make a difference in this world. God promises that ‘mercy triumphs over judgment’ and we need to take him at his word. We can side step what is culturally expected of us and show mercy to people beneath our social class, or social group of friends. God wants to change the world through our willingness to do mercy to those who need it most, to those who can’t pay us back. Want to be the difference that changes the world? DO MERCY. the Rev  Mercy Triumphs over Judgment |
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18 Faith Works - Avoid hypocrisy |
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Sunday, 28 October 2007 |
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James 2:14-26 Beating the paranoia of self The world is shrinking in on itself. People are being encouraged to be much more self absorbed. How we feel is of great importance to ourselves. We fear feeling sad, bored, rejected and unhappy. Real faith frees you from the paranoia of self so that you can enjoy life despite how you feel. Real faith expands your world so self is replaced by your love for God and people. the Rev  My World or Gods? |
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19 Overcome Hypocrisy |
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Sunday, 04 November 2007 |
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Isaiah 58 Better than miracles Miracles are wonderful, the birth of your first child, a remarkable recovery from illness or injury, the unexpected success at work or school. But there is something better than enjoying a miracle. It is better to be a miracle in someone else’s life. There have been people in my life that have been miracles of kindness, support and encouragement, sometimes, when I least deserved it. God would rather make you a miracle than give you one. Learn how to be a miracle. the Rev  Unlimited love your neighbour credit card The Rev’s KneeI’m having a knee rebuilt so I’ll be out of action for a couple of weeks. I look forward to resuming my lounge room sermons soon. God bless, the Rev |
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20 Find God |
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Sunday, 02 December 2007 |
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James 2:14-26 Looking for nothing Normally we find all sorts of things when searching for something that we have lost. Like stuff that you previously looked for but couldn’t find when you needed it. It would be silly to look for something without actually knowing what it was. You would never know if you found it. Just as silly would be knowing what to look for without looking. Don’t waste your life looking for something you aren’t sure about, look for God and you will find him. Likewise don’t just know God is worth finding without taking the time to actually getting to know him. Faith and works go together and cannot be separated. the Rev  Looking for...? |
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21 Overcome the impossible |
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Sunday, 09 December 2007 |
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Genesis 15:1-7 and Luke 17:1-10 Normally extraordinary Jesus Christ was normally extraordinary. Everywhere he went he taught with insightful wisdom, healed the sick and raised the dead. Now Christ wants us to do the same. He expects us to be normally extraordinary. We can forgive without hesitation and without limit, we can serve without getting pious, we can give without thought of gain. To do this we much lean to see through darkness, hear through silence and live through death. the Rev  Live through death |
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22 Live life |
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Sunday, 16 December 2007 |
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Joshua 2 See God Clearly Everyone loses things. Sometimes it takes a while before we realise something is missing which makes it hard to retrace our steps to work out where it might be. God is like that, we sometimes don’t even realise that his gone missing out of our lives. Usually pain and suffering are times where we reach for God to find that we have misplaced him somewhere in the busyness of our lives. In reality he never goes missing. What actually happens is that we become blinded to him by our own silly independence. Today I want to encourage you to learn to see God again in your life so that you can live life again. the Rev  See God |
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23 Confront Pride |
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Sunday, 06 January 2008 |
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James 3 Is God crazy? No one in their right minds would give a loaded gun to a child. Guns are dangerous and children lack the maturity, so the combination of the two is crazy. Well that’s exactly what God has done. He has given us tongues. The tongue is powerful, dangerous, untameable and corrupted. We are often like children shooting off our gun without thinking of the consequences. We need God’s help to learn to use our tongues for good rather than for evil. the Rev  Our Tongue |
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24 Respect your tongue |
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Sunday, 13 January 2008 |
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James 3 Change your world Everyone lives to a certain extent in their own world. We have our joys and struggles, our habits and our vices. Sometimes we get stuck and we can’t seem to climb out of the sticky mess we are making. It might be friendship gone sour, colleagues who are impossible, parents who are always critical. God has given you great power and an opportunity to change your world for good. Be encouraged to respect your tongue by being warned, being careful and being encouraging. the Rev  Bridle your tongue |
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25 Safeguard your tongue |
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Sunday, 20 January 2008 |
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Romans 12 Freedom of speech It would seem that the average person has about 25,000 words in their vocab. More important than the words at our disposal is how we use our words. So often it seems that we trip over our tongues. If you would like to enjoy the freedom of speaking without making a mess of things then you will find this message encouraging and helpful. the Rev  Cat got your tongue? |
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26 Sanctify your tongue |
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Sunday, 27 January 2008 |
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James 4 Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Our tongues are just like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It is intelligent, kind, constructive and then violent, erratic and dangerous. Everyone struggles with this split personality of the tongue. Sometimes we really do surprise ourselves and kick ourselves afterwards for what we said. There is real hope in Christ; you can bring wholeness and healing to your tongue. the Rev  Our tongue |
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27 Be Wise |
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Sunday, 03 February 2008 |
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Numbers 12 The right path Getting lost when on a walk is annoying and sometimes dangerous. Being prepared is wise, such as having water, food and a map when you go bush walking. No matter how sure you are, don’t be tempted to take short cuts, stay on designated paths. Otherwise it can be very easy to get lost. This can happen with our lives, we can be working really hard in some area of our life only to find that it really isn’t that important. For example: Work is important but not compared to sacrificing your marriage and family. We all need wisdom to know for sure that we are who we should be and that we are living our lives in a good way. We need wisdom. the Rev  The path of Wisdom |
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28 Be understanding |
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Sunday, 24 February 2008 |
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James 3:13-4:1-10 Making life simpler There is no question, life is busy, life is hard, and life is complicated. There are so many challenges to be faced, disappointments to get over and choices to be made. High School students have to make subject choices that will affect what they can study at Uni which ultimately will affect their future careers. What can help is knowing what to major on. God wants you to work hard not so much at achieving goals but becoming godly as a person. He is not interested in what kind of home you end up living in but whether he is at home in your heart. Let me encourage you to simplify your life by living it with understanding. the Rev  Life is like a tug of war |
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29 Enjoy God's Kingdom |
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Sunday, 02 March 2008 |
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James 4 Breaking point
The human heart can be a very tough nut to crack but God is very good at it. He knows just how much pressure to apply and just the right way to do it. The problem isn’t so much our stubbornness because in the right place that can be a real asset.  What is your breaking point? The greatest challenge for God is to crack the pride that covers our hearts. Most often he does this by reminding us that we are not god, we are not in control of even the simplest things. Just yesterday the garage roller door broke and I couldn’t open it without getting help. That proves that I’m not as powerful or as clever as God. If I can’t open a roller door no wonder I’m having trouble with the rest of my life. This of course is a painful process for us; it hurts to be brought to breaking point. But God has a very good reason for cracking out hearts. He does this so that he can get through to us that he cares for us and that we really need him, that we can’t do it on our own. the Rev |
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30 Master your feelings |
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Sunday, 09 March 2008 |
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James 4:1-10 Want Deeper Someone who likes to work in silence is disturbed by noise. Someone who likes the company of friends is disturbed by loneliness. Someone who likes fine food is disturbed by an ill prepared dish. We pin our happiness so often on the wrong things. Too often we want only happiness for ourselves and this means we are very easily disturbed. If you would like to do something about this then listen to my message where I will teach you to master your feelings for Jesus Christ. the Rev  Master your feelings/Fear |
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31 Betray the World |
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Sunday, 16 March 2008 |
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Psalm 51 Poison Apple Ever wondered why witches always use poison apples? Well they look nice, tasty and healthy. They have no warning labels on them of the danger of falling asleep forever on them. The pursuit of happiness is just like a poison apple. It will make you fall asleep to your real need to have a relationship with God. It will set you on an endless, fruitless and tiring path without ever being happy for long. Freedom comes from betraying the world’s philosophy of happiness and accepting God’s plan for your life. the Rev  Happiness is the poison apple |
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32 Want God |
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Sunday, 06 April 2008 |
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Luke 7:36-50 Change sides What you want and what you fear is nearly the same thing. If you want happiness you will fear sadness. It is easy for our wants and fear to take control of our lives, we might try and please our friends so that they accept us and not reject us. This means that our friends have influence and control over our lives. The antidote to our wants and fears is to want and fear God. Then he will be our desire and he will have a good influence in our lives. Going against your feelings isn’t easy so this message seeks to give you practical help to re-organise your life in accordance to God’s will for your life. the Rev
 Submit humbly to God |
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33 Avoid Pride |
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Sunday, 13 April 2008 |
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Mark 12:28-34, Matthew 7:1-6 Eye surgery Nothing fills an operating room with tension like eye surgery. The surgeon looks through a powerful microscope and uses the finest of instruments. The patient is conscious so that they can keep their eye looking straight ahead and still. No one would want to be operated by someone who was visually impaired themselves. So often we can see problems in other people but are blind to our own. We insult and hurt people by trying to fix problems that might be less serious than our own. Any attempt to help someone should be done with the greatest care and humility, like performing eye surgery. the Rev  Hold very Still |
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34 Don't Boast |
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Sunday, 20 April 2008 |
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Luke 12:13-34 Cockatoos and Galahs
Australia is one of the best places to find Parrots. Cockies are my favourite because they are such larrikins, so full of fun and mischief. Aussies are like the Cockie; we don't like to take life too seriously, we like to enjoy life. We don't like being told what to do, especially by the government and we certainly don't like people bragging about themselves. But sometimes we brag without knowing it. In James 4:13-17 the way we talk about our plans for 'tomorrow' is examined and found to have pride at its heart. Behind our words is an independence from God which is not good. Be encouraged to consciously include in your thinking and planning so that you do the good you know you should do. the Rev  |
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35 Christ is coming |
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Sunday, 27 April 2008 |
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James 5 Fishing and Gardening Little kids find the hobbies of fishing and gardening difficult to enjoy. After holding the rod for a while they start wondering why they haven’t caught a fish already. Gardening has a similar result, why hasn’t the tree grown, or the vegies sprung up? Because we only planted them yesterday. We are like this when it comes to injustice that we experience. We turn to God seeking healing and justice now not later. God wants you to be patient and persevering, Christ is coming and when he does he will bring justice and healing. the Rev  Fishing requires patience |
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36 Endure Injustice |
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Sunday, 04 May 2008 |
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Psalm 73 Turkeys, Trifles and the coming of Christ Winning the lottery would seem like a wonderful thing, all your money problems would disappear. In reality your money problems would only have just begun. People who win millions face terrible hardship, loneliness, divorce, bankruptcy and even death. James is soaked (like a trifle) in the Old Testament and warns us not to envy the rich but to see their spiritual condition, that they are like fattened turkeys just before Thanksgiving day in America. Christ is coming, don’t be led astray by jealously towards the wealth of the rich. It will rob you of the joy of God's Kingdom. the Rev  Turkey prefers you eat ham
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37 Christ is near |
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Sunday, 11 May 2008 |
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2 Peter 3 A nasty brewOnce I made a pasta dish, it looked great but I had put too much oregano which made it really nasty (bitter). This sermon has more than one nasty ingredient. Don't grumble and be patient. Let me tell you that all this week God hammered me, frustrating me, making me have plenty of opportunities to learn to be patient. I'm exhausted. I find that God does make me live what I preach, either before the sermon or after and sometimes both. It's an aspect of ministry which can make it really hard. A lot of things went wrong, I had writers block (which is increasingly frustrating as the deadline approaches). I had interruptions (including the police, no I wasn't in trouble) and then my computer has progressively died and last night I didn't get a wink of sleep. To be honest, I did a lot of grumbling and impatience this week, but hey, at least I'm aware of it and I'm trying to work on it too with God's help. the Rev  Tshirt available
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38 Pray |
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Sunday, 18 May 2008 |
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Psalm 51 When, how and why we should pray Lots of people pray. Often in a crises, less often in good times. Learning to talk to God as a first resort rather than a last one will change the world. Often we feel powerless and hopeless in the situation and circumstances of our lives, particularly in times of sickness. God can change your circumstances, he can change you and he is our source of hope. Let me encourage you to pray in all the circumstances of your life because prayer is effective. By the way I’m wearing a snake today and have one on my pulpit because our Sunday school made a presentation on Bolivia and their desperate need for Christ and the Bible. Bolivia is the home of the anaconda, wearing one around your neck is not recommended. the Rev  Call God now; no phone required
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39 Help |
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Sunday, 25 May 2008 |
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Matthew 18 An end that marks a beginning This is the last message I will be preaching on James. As someone jokingly said I should have done one more and made it an even 40 sermons (40 is a biblical number). I hope it hasn’t felt like 40 years in the desert or 40 days without food or water. None the less we have come to the end of our time in James. The ending marks the beginning of a new journey. This little letter has sought to encourage us to enjoy God’s kingdom by overcoming and enduring the challenges to our faith. In the last two verses we are told to help each other live by the truth of this letter. The Church is a community of people who help each other live in and by the truth, when we stumble and stray we seek to help each other so that we might be restored once more with God and the Church community. the Rev  Help each other Journey
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