LMAP Women’s Retreat 2025

“The Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

The three speakers for our Women’s Retreat, Kezia Barnes, Tamara Lindeback and Linda Oakley, take us through how we find the Joy of the Lord in His character, in our salvation and in our Christian fellowship.

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Talk 1 – Joy in God’s Character (Kezia Barnes)

Read the text – Psalm 33

Talk 2 – Joy in Salvation (Tamara Lindeback)

Read the text – Titus 3:5-7, John 15:3-16, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 51:12-13, 1 Thess 5:16-18

Talk 3 – The Joy of the Lord in Christian Fellowship (Linda Oakley)

Read the text – Matthew 18:20, Nehemiah 8:10, Isaiah 40:31, 1 Corinthians 12:12-20, Galatians 6:2, Revelation 7:9, Romans 15:1-2, Galatians 5:24-26, Romans 15:13

Sermon – Stand Fast: In Hope (1 Peter 1:1-12)

Read the text – 1 Peter 1:1-12

God has given Christians a living hope of salvation through Jesus. In this first sermon of the sermon series ‘Stand Fast’, Ken Noakes speaks on 1 Peter 1:1-12, which shows that in a world full of suffering, this hope can fill us with joy even as we suffer in the present.

Sermon – Pictures of Judgement and Grace: The Feast of all Nations (Isaiah 24:1-27:13)

Read the text – Isaiah 24:1-27:13

The people of Judah face a number of crises from within (their own sin) and without (the alliance of Israel and Syria, the power of Assyria). Who will they trust to rescue them? Themselves? Foreign Nations? or God Almighty?

In this sermon, Dave Swan shows us a beautiful picture of heaven, with people from all nations coming to the mountain of the Lord, and enjoying the fruit of the vineyard, with death being swallowed up forever. We have seen God’s power over the nations – we now get a glimpse of God’s plan for the nations. In the midst of hopelessness, we hear songs of joy from the most unlikely of places as God’s gospel goes to all nations.

Sermon – Psalms of Hope: Hope Sings it’s heart out (Psalm 84)

Read the text – Psalm 84

The Psalms have been described as ‘both God’s word to us and our words to God’. The Psalms speak to the total person and demand a total response. Generally, the book of Psalms has been divided into five books and this ‘Psalm of Hope’ number 84, comes from Book III. We are encouraged to find hope in God alone through his Son, our Saviour and King, Jesus Christ.

In this talk, Ken Noakes helps us to think about all the good things that might make life good, and yet also recognize that those good things pale into insignificance compared with the hope of the glory of heaven. May this Psalm, and this talk, help you to sing for joy because of your hope in Jesus.

Talk Outline Download