Sermon – Wisdom through Suffering (Job 3-27) – That’s what friends are for?

Read the text – Job 19:1-29

We have met the upright and blameless Job, and seen the tragedy and suffering which fell upon him. In the chapters that follow (Job 3-27), Job responds to the “comfort” (?) of his friends with words full of agony and pain. Job looks to his only hope: a sovereign and perfect God who cannot allow injustice. In spite of his circumstances and feelings, the small glimmer of hope from 9:33-34 which became a faint trickle of hope in 14:14-15 and 16:19-21, has become much more certain, to the point where declares “I know that my redeemer lives!”(19:25). This yet again reveals that the deepest desire of his heart is to be in the presence of the God he loves (19:27). In spite of what his friends have said, Job doesn’t fear death because he is sure that he will see the Lord face to face, and that there is the hope of a resurrection (19:26).

Bible Talk Outline Download

Overview of the Structure of Job Download

Sermon: Wisdom through Suffering (Job 1-2) – An ‘Upright Man’

Read the text – Job 1:1-2:10

With suffering wherever you look around the world, we being to ask many questions… Where is God? Why does he allow this? How can God be good when things are not? In the book of Job, we see these questions. We follow his struggle to understand what was happening to him. And yet we also see the development and growth in his understanding of God, and the kind of Saviour we all need.

In this Bible Talk, Gary Haddon introduces this book of wisdom and we look at the upright man named Job – a man who fears God and shuns evil. This man who experiences some extraordinary trials which shape argument of the Book of Job.

An Overview of the Structure of Job Download

Bible Talk Outline Download

Sermon – Kingdom Coming: Moving Mountains (Matthew 17:14-27)

For the fifth and last time in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus speaks of what ‘little faith’ might look like – and he offers yet another description of what will happen to him as he heads into Jerusalem where he will be delivered into the hands of opposing men, killed, and then on the third day rise.

In these Bible talks both John Lavender and Ken Noakes look at what faith in the life of a believer might look like – it is not about the quantity of faith (as if that could be measured), but about the genuineness of faith in Jesus.

Preacher: John Lavender

Read the text – Matthew 17:14-27

Preacher: Ken D Noakes

Outline for this Talk Download

LMAP Women’s Retreat 2023 (2 Timothy)

What does it mean to live a gospel life? The Apostle Paul encourages his younger disciple Timothy to stand firm in the truth of the gospel knowing that suffering will come. Timothy is reminded not to be distracted because the reward of life in Christ is worth persevering for today. Erin Lidgerwood, Sarah McConville, Dani Holmes and Tamara Lindeback, teaching from the letter of 2 Timothy, help us to consider what this gospel life might look like for women at each stage of life.

LMAP Women’s Retreat 2023 Booklet Download

Talk 1 – Living the Gospel Life (Erin Lidgerwood)

Read the text – 2 Timothy 1:1-14 & 2 Timothy 4:6-22

Talk 1 Visuals Download

Talk 2 – Living the Gospel Life (Sarah McConville)

Read the text – 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Talk 2 Visuals Download

Talk 3 – Living the Gospel Life (Dani Holmes)

Read the text – 2 Timothy 2:14-3:9

Talk 4 – Living the Gospel Life (Tamara Lindeback)

Read the text – 2 Timothy 3:10-4:5

Sermon – Apostles Creed: Good Suffering

For thousands of years Christians have said the words of the Apostles’ Creed together. In the two talks which follow we look at the line in the creed ‘Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the Dead’. These two talks together offer a helpful, yet different, treatment of this important and theologically loaded statement.

Read the texts – Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 27:11-54

This this talk, Nick Lindeback offers a narrative retelling of the trial, cross, death and burial of Jesus. In doing so he gives a broad overview of the importance of the atonement. Nick helps us to see how the Roman parades celebrating their military victories, set something of the context for the supposed ‘humiliation’ of Jesus – yet how by his wounds, and in his crucifixion, we see the coronation of the King of Kings.

Bible Talk Outline Download

In this talk, Dr Trace Akankunda looks at the significance of the sufferings and death of Jesus on the cross. He helps us to see Christ’s suffering in the context of salvation, and then helps us to rethink our own suffering in the context of hope.

Sermon – Stand Firm: Hope in Hard Times (2 Thess. 1:1-12)

Just as the Lord Jesus suffered, so too will his people. Why? In Thessalonica, the persecution of the church has intensified. In this Bible Talk, Gary Haddon answers some of those ‘why’ questions that tend to arise when suffering is encountered. Yet more, Gary shows us the Apostle Paul’s response as he encourages the Thessalonians to give thanks for God’s grace, remember his justice, and pray for his power.

Read the text – 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

A Perfect Storm – Crying out to God (Psalm 13)

Photo courtesy of Wolter Petters Photography

Sometimes in life we get hit by the perfect storm.

I live in the Lower Blue Mountains of NSW – west of Sydney. At present, we are experiencing a perfect storm – hot temperatures, long term drought, a build up of combustible and dry material, high winds and a terrific fire storm.

Since September 5th 2019 there has been fires burning in NSW and Queensland, which at the time of writing, has burned through 3,900,000 hectares, claimed 8 lives, and destroyed 829 properties.

It is understandable that many have fears and concerns.

And while natural disasters cause collective concern, there are so often times when individuals experience there own personal perfect storm – an unexpected medical diagnosis, the loss of a job, a car accident, sickness, depression, family dramas, breakdown of relationships, financial pressures, death of a loved one.

What do we do when we get hit by the perfect storm – or any storm?

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Sermons – Hope in…

Hope Series Graphic

‘Hope’ is a well used term, yet one that is easily misunderstood. This three part series aims to help Christians understand and be equipped as children of God to live in a world that is flawed, fraught and fallen yet still under the glorious umbrella of hope in Christ.

Using the Letter to the Romans as a springboard, this series will look to address the topics of Judgement, Suffering and Predestination – whilst recognizing that ‘creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.’ (Romans 8:20-21)

Hope in Judgement

Read the Bible text – Romans 2:17-3:20

Watch the Video – here

– Josh Ord

Hope in Suffering

Read the Bible text – Romans 5:1-5

Watch the Video – here

– Dave Swan

Hope in Chaos

Read the Bible text – Romans 8:31-39

Talk Outline – Hope..in Chaos (Predestination)

Watch the Video – here

– Ken Noakes

Sermons: A Festal Garment – Despair & Kindness (Ruth 1-4)

Ruth Sermon Series Graphic

Do you love a good party? Go back a millennium and you may have found yourself at an Israelite party – or ‘festival’ to be more accurate. Israel as the people for God conducted festivals which celebrated or reminded them of what God had done for his people. At these festivals they would read out one of their (Old Testament) scrolls – Ruth at Pentecost, Song of Songs and Passover, Ecclesiastes at the Feast of Tabernacles, Esther at Purim and Lamentations at the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. This custom was not continued by the Christian church.

Yet these little books exist in our Bible and it is not often that you hear them preached. So, in our Five Festal Garments series we are going to look at these little biblical treasure troves and see what Christians can learn today as we get dressed to live godly lives.

Let’s start with the Book of Ruth

Read the Bible text – Ruth 1-4

Talk – Ruth 1-2 (Outline)

– Ken Noakes

Watch the Video – here

Talk – Ruth 3-4 (Outline)

– Ken Noakes

Watch the Video – here

Sermon – Groaning in Hope (Romans 8:18-30)

Romans 1-8 Slide

Amid the many challenges we have in life, both as Christians and as participants in a fallen and broken world, we need not waver in hope. God himself is with us and working in and around us in everything to ensure that what he has promised us in Christ will indeed eventuate. So we wait patiently, relying on him.

Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:18-30

– Josh Ord