Tag Archives: Relationships

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. 

Download the booklet (PDF)

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 – Firm Faith: Living under Christ (Colossians 3:15-4:1)

Read the text – Colossians 3:15-4:1

Any teaching that wants to suggest that Christians need Jesus PLUS … (anything else) to be a Christian or to live as a Christian is guilty of contradicting the supremacy of Christ. Being told we need more than him (either for salvation or to live as a Christian) means that we are being taught that what he has done is not enough. We need to stand firm in our faith in Jesus as all we need for this life and the next.

In this sermon, Gary Haddon helps us to understand that every part of life, all our relationships, need to be brought under the authority of Christ.

Bible Talk Outline

Sermon – Christian Family Matters: Concerning Singleness (1 Cor 7:17-40)

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 7:17-40

What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church. We look at 1 Corinthians 1-7 because it holds a mirror up to us and it would be wise for us to consider carefully what it might say to us in 2022.

In this talk, Dave Swan looks at how being in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex should not come before being in a relationship with the Lord – put the horse before the cart when thinking about singleness and relationships. This talk upholds singleness. There is great value for us all (single or married) to recognise the value of singleness and to be given reasons to see that our status before the Lord is first about our relationship with him than it is about our relationship with another. Yet, we also acknowledge the burden/longing that those who are single may feel.

Sermon – Sexual Immorality (1 Corinthians 6:12-20) [15+ Mature Audiences Warning]

Read the text – 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

What should hold a church together – Our relationships? Our feeling of belonging? Our gospel convictions? Jesus? The Apostle Paul wrote this extraordinary letter to a church he knew well, yet a church which had got itself into a bit of a muddle. It turns out that the Christian Family does matter – and it is important to ensure that Jesus sits at the heart and soul of this church and in fact any church. We look at 1 Corinthians 1-7 because it holds a mirror up to us and it would be wise for us to consider carefully what it might say to us today.

In this Bible Talk, Dave Swan speaks about the touchy subject of sexual purity and the important place it holds in the Christian family. Since “your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God” (1 Cor 6:19) – how should the Christian person handle their sex drive in a highly sexualised world and yet still honour God?

Sermon Series – Wisdom in Relationships (Proverbs)

In every stage of life, what we often need and frequently lack, is wisdom. Whether seeking or being married, relating to our children or relating as adults to our parents, there are potholes that rattle us. Proverbs anticipates our struggles and offers timeless wisdom, warning and instruction that find their zenith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Building Wisdom: Husband and Wife

This sermon looks at the need for faithfulness in a marriage, and the greatest example of this being Christ and the church.

Read the passages – Proverbs 6:20-35 Ephesians 5:21-33

Banking Wisdom: Parent to Child

Proverbs assumes the need to love our children through discipline, as hard as this is in practice. This sermon investigates the idea of discipline, as well as the ways that God loves us through his discipline of us as his children.

Read the passages – Proverbs 14:1-4 Hebrews 12:3-17

(Question time included after sermon)

Honouring Wisdom: Adult to Parent

This sermon looks at our struggle to heed all the wisdom our parents have to offer, often due to pride. We should honour our earthly parents naturally as we live out our faith in honouring our heavenly Father, perfectly modelled by Jesus.

Read the passages – Proverbs 23:22-25 Ephesians 6:1-3

Sermon – Faith That Works: God’s Solution to Fights and Quarrels (James 3:13-4:12)

Faith That Works - The Letter of James

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 discusses the causes and solutions of fights and quarrels.

Read the text – James 3:13-4:12

Talk Outline – Faith That Works: God’s Solution to Fights and QuarrelsDownload

Sermon – Living Loving Sacrifice: service (Romans 14-15)

Romans 9-16 Slide

True worship shows itself in acceptance and service. In this talk we consider a Christian should approach others whom they might be tempted to look down upon. Our world does it, Christians shouldn’t.

Read the Bible text – Romans 14-15

Talk outline – here

Watch the Video – here

– Ken Noakes

Upholding Singleness

Song of Songs is a beautiful book that millions of Christians, both single and married, have read and studied with great profit. However, for some – and in particular those not currently in a relationship – it can be difficult.

In any church family there will be folk who are single – those who have never been married and those who have been married and are now single. Due to a breakdown in relationship, divorce, death of a spouse, a struggle against same-sex attraction, or other reason, Song of Songs may push some unhappy buttons.

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