Talks
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Jesus – Rescuer, Ruler, Revealer (Luke 1:26-56)
Posted on December 28th, 2011
Christmas is a good time to take a fresh look at Jesus. God sent Him to be our Rescuer and Ruler. And since he’s God in human form, he reveals God to us in a way we can understand and relate to. Do you know Him? Has He rescued you? And is He ruling your life?
check out the sermon here
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
God’s plan and my life (Luke 1:5-25)
Posted on December 20th, 2011
When it comes to your relationship with God, who is at the centre? You or God? God has a big picture plan that he is working out, and your life is part of that. Are you on board? Or do your disappointments and disbelief make you hold out on God?
check out the sermon here
Luke 1:5-25
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.[b] 16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Dealing with Doubt (Luke 1:1-4)
Posted on December 12th, 2011
Can you really trust the bible as a reliable source of info about God? How do you know it wasn’t all just made up? or exaggerated? or changed over time? If you’ve got your doubts about some of the stuff you’ve heard about Jesus, Luke’s gospel was written for you, so you could know for sure. And if you read it, you might just get to meet the real Jesus, and not some fairy tale version of him.
check out the sermon here
Luke 1:1-4
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Dying Well (Genesis 23-25)
Posted on December 5th, 2011
We’re all gonna die. So let’s die well…like Abraham did. He kept trusting God’s promises right to the end. But his faith in a sovereign God didn’t mean he kicked back in retirement. He kept working to see God’s promises fulfilled and fleshed out in his own family. How are you going with that? Guest preacher Dave Miers (youth pastor, St Faiths Narrabeen) unpacks this section of Genesis for us.
check out the sermon here
Zac died well…
The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
Genesis 25:5-11
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. 7 Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.
Sacrifice your son? (Genesis 22)
Posted on November 29th, 2011
After 25 years of waiting for God to fulfil His promise, Abraham finally gets his son Isaac. And now God commands him to slit his throat and set him on fire. What kind of God asks for that? And what kind of dad is prepared to do that? And why does the bible think this was a great moment in history? The New Testament says Abraham was a man of faith and we’re to imitate him. But is he really a man of faith? Or is he or bit unhinged, willing to kill his kid? Seriously, what on earth has this horrific story got to say to us?
check out the sermon here
Genesis 22:1-2
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
God’s merciful warning (Genesis 18-19)
Posted on November 22nd, 2011
Our culture doesn’t want to hear about God’s judgement or His perspective on sexuality. And neither did the people of Sodom. But God is our Maker and our Judge. He has the right to determine our morality, and our sexuality. And He will hold us accountable. What God did to Sodom and Gomorrah stands as a loving warning for us today. And what God did for Lot reminds us of God’s mercy to us in Christ. Are you ready to meet your Maker at the Judgement?
check out the sermon here
Genesis 18-19
Blood Covenants – be cut, or be cut off (Genesis 15-17)
Posted on November 14th, 2011
God makes an everlasting covenant with Abraham to bless him and his descendants. God vows to keep His promises…even it it kills Him. And God expects Abraham to chop off part of his penis as a display of obedience.
What the???? Are you serious????
God also says “My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
So does this mean we need to get the snip? Be cut, or we’ll be cut off from God’s blessings??
Brace yourself, you might not like what you hear.
check out the sermon here
Genesis 15-17