Category Archives: 61 2 Peter

Sermon – Rebuke & Refuge: Mercy and Hope (Zeph 3:9-20)

Read the text – Zephaniah 3:9-20; 2 Peter 3:14-18

After two and bit chapters of rebuke and judgement, Zephaniah shifts to focus on a fully fledged future hope.  The flipside of God’s terrible wrath is his unmerited and complete mercy where he shows his remnant people a perfect fellowship in mutual love which comes on the Day of the Lord.

In this Bible Talk, Ken Noakes addresses a specific events surrounding the newly appointed CEO of the Essendon Football Club. Hours after his appointment, issue was raised because of his association with his church (an evangelical church in Victoria) whose statements of beliefs are biblically shaped and consistent with traditional Christian doctrines. He was forced to choose between his church or his football club. He choose his church.

Sermon – Faith That Works: Crown of Suffering (James 1:1-18)

Imagine being the younger brother of Jesus Christ. Always following in the footsteps of the glory child!! James is refreshingly matter of fact and down to earth. As we read the letter by James, we read his concern that those following Jesus don’t only listen, but actually walk in his footsteps. For him righteousness matters, and it is the practical righteousness that you can hear in the words and see in the actions of the follower of Jesus that really counts. This talk explores perseverance in faith.

Read the text – James 1:1-18

Talk outline – Faith That Works: Crown of SufferingDownload

Sermon – JesusWORKS: What is the Bible?

JesusWORKS Flyer Image

JesusWORKS aims to introduce you to the Jesus of history by looking at his life, teaching and work. Primarily, it is for the person who wants to check out the claims of Jesus or the claims about Jesus – so that they can make up their own minds about him.

Yet, it is also for any Christian who wants to be prepared to give a reasoned answer for the hope that they have in the gospel of Jesus (1 Pet 3:15).

Jesus calls people to himself, yet he gives everyone the opportunity to examine him and his message before making that decision.What is the Bible

In this talk, we  seek to answer the question: What is the Bible? – is it an old irrelevant book or is it a reliable source for understanding Jesus?

Read the Bible texts – 2 Peter 1:12-21

Talk 1 – What is the Bible (Outline)

Watch the Talk – here

Listen to the Talk

– Ken Noakes

For more information and resources that go with the JesusWORKS course – go here

How can the Bible be from men but also from God?

How is it that the Bible arrives in the form we have it?

The Apostle Paul, along with Timothy, writing to the church in Thessalonica said:

‘we thank God continually because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe’                                       (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

The word received, was handled down by God through those who had first heard it and their job was to tell others.

Of course that begs the question – how can the Bible be from men but really from God? How can we be sure that humans who spoke and wrote actually have the spoken and written word that God wanted them to express?

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Why leave a ‘church’?

101 5pm church update header

The question ‘Why leave a ‘church?’ may be a dangerous question to ask, especially on a church blog!

The reality is that all churches have people leave them – for both wise and unwise reasons. It is worth spending some time thinking about why one would take the step of leaving a ‘church’ and then further considering how to do that well. That said, I am hoping that no one reading this will in fact leave 5pm Church as a result!Trinity City 'Five by 5' Challenge - hand

In the previous two articles we have considered ‘What is ‘Church’?’ and then ‘What to expect of ‘Church’?‘ which as background should help establish that leaving a church should be thought about carefully – that is not a decision that should be made hastily or prayerlessly. If ‘church’ is about God’s people gathering as a family in Christ around his Word, it should give some pause for thought to a person when deciding to stay or to go. Leaving means leaving a family and a place where God’s word should be key to their fellowship.

Changing churches or leaving church altogether is no small thing.

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