
Preacher: Des Smith

Ken “unboxes” the Christmas story – and gives three reasons why Christmas is so special and three reasons why Christmas makes our life better.
Preacher: Ken Noakes
Read the Bible text Isaiah 7:13-17, Isaiah 9:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 and Colossians 1:15-23
Workings and Script for this Christmas Talk – Isaiah 7 and 9, Matt 1, Col 1

Yes it was a long time ago but what was all the fuss about a baby born to a poor family in a little country town of a minor province in the Roman empire? Watch or listen to Chris as he “opens the box” of why Christmas is so significant to us today.
Preacher: Chris Jolliffe

The “pattern” in Judges of God appointing a “judge” to deliver Israel is broken by Abimelek who sets himself up as a king, who rules not for God but for himself – with disastrous consequences for all watch/listen to Des Smith as he uses this story to teach us some lessons for church leadership today.
Preacher: Des Smith
Read the Bible text – Judges 8:29 – 9:21 and Mark 10:35-37, 41-45
English Support Handout – Judges 8:29 – 9:21 and Mark 10:35-27 , 41-45

Many of us “know” the story about Gideon -how he successfully defeated the massive Midianite army, confusing them with trumpets and hidden torches. But do we really understand what happened? Listen to Ken Noakes, has he helps us understand from the book of Judges what Gideon was really like and what we need to learn about trusting in our sovereign God and not relying on human wisdom.
Preacher: Ken Noakes
Read the Bible text – Judges 6:33 – 7:25 and 1Corinthians 2:1-5
English Support Handout – Judges 6:33 – 7:25 and 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

How do we honour God and how will God respond if we don’t? Des Smith looks at the result of a judge of Israel who fails to “trust and obey” the Lord God.
Preacher: Des Smith

How’s your prayer life? Perhaps you pray “plastic surgery” prayers – that look and sound OK but cover up how you are really feeling. In Psalm 22, Simon Marshman takes us to a ‘raw and real’ prayer of King David, to help us learn to rely upon our faithful God even though we may be struggling through difficult times.
Preacher: Simon Marshman
Read the Bible text – Psalm 22
English Support Handout – Psalm 22

What can we learn about our approach to evangelism in Adelaide today from some grim history that occurred over 2000 years ago in northern Palestine?
Preacher: Des Smith
Read the Bible text – Judges 3:7-31 and 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
English Support Handout – Judges 3:7-31 and 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

What can we learn from the way God deals with a disobedient Israel? The people of Israel had promised faithfulness to God but they repeatedly turned away to the idolatry of the surrounding nations, nations that were there because of their repeated failure to do what God had directed.
Preacher: Des Smith

What does the building of Israel’s great Temple have to do with us today? Listen to Des Smith as he explains why we should reflect on the faithfulness of King David and the people of Israel, as we think about our vision for 2019 and our preparedness to support this as we depend upon God to grow his kingdom.
Preacher: Des Smith