Read the text – Psalm 23, Luke 15:1-10
In the final sermon of the sermon series ‘Jesus Transforms’, David Swan speaks on Jesus’s love and mercy, and how it can transform us from being far away and lost to close to Jesus.
Tag Archives: mercy
Sermon – Hope 25: Hope for the heart (John 3:1-16)
Read the text – John 3:1-16
In the final sermon of ‘Hope 25’, we look at the meeting of Nicodemus and Jesus. John Lavender speaks on this example of a hardened, misguided heart, and how we all need Jesus to heal our own hardened hearts.
Sermon – Hope 25: Hope for the lost (Ezekiel 34:1-16)
Read the text – Ezekiel 34:1-16
As we continue in the year 2025, it becomes more apparent that we need hope. In this mini-sermon series ‘Hope 25’, John Lavender look’s at the book of Ezekiel to find where we should put our hope, and why we desperately need it.
Sermon – Persevere: Contending for the Faith (Jude 1-4, 17-25)
Read the text – Jude 1-4, 17-25
Jude is a short little letter which packs a punch. It is written to those who know what faith in Jesus is about – and urges them to ‘contend for the faith’ in the face of what are known challenges. This letter is as valuable today as it would have been for those who originally received it and will help equip believers to persevere as we walk in Jesus.
In this sermon, Ken Noakes encourages us to “be in it to win it”, because there is an urgent, pressing need that we fight for our faith. But we aren’t left to our own devices: we have the firm foundation of God’s word, and we have the power of the Holy Trinity behind us, so we can be built up by God’s word, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep in God’s love and wait on the Lord Jesus.
Sermon – Pictures of Judgement and Grace: The Vineyard of the LORD (Isaiah 5:1-6:13)
Read the text – Isaiah 5:1-6:13
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 Bible talk, Neil Atwood describes the imagery of the vineyard, in the context of God’s holiness, and how God’s judgement and mercy is a necessary extension of his holiness. And we should rejoice in the holiness God offers to us.
Sermon – Pictures of Judgement and Grace: The Branch of the LORD (Isaiah 2:6-4:6)
Read the text – Isaiah 2:5-4:6
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 Bible talk, Nick Lindeback describes how there will be a day when God punishes the sin of his people, but the result of this judgment – a holy people and the beautiful branch of the LORD. Mercy will come through judgement. Therefore flee to Jesus, let him take the judgement for us, so we may we spend eternity in the beautiful presence of the LORD.
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 – Rebuke & Refuge: Shame (Zeph 2:4-3:8)
Read the text – Zephaniah 2:4-3:8
The Day of the Lord is a universal eschatological disaster. Yet God’s judgement is tantalisingly mingled with hope of restoration and his character of righteousness. All humanity is clearly at his mercy. In this talk Ken Noakes helps us to see that God not only holds all nations to account, but he hold his own people to account. It all hinges on how God can be righteous and just, and at the same time merciful and forgiving.
Sermon – Faith That Works: Discrimination (James 2:1-13)
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 challenges us to not discriminate, but rather model Christ.
Read the text – James 2:1-13 Deuteronomy 10:12-22
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