Romans 8:1-13, Galatians 5:13-26 The work of Christ on the cross transforms the believer, from death to life, from dark to light. But this transformation must then be lived out day by day, as we seek to go the distance in the Christian life. God’s Holy Spirit transforms our sinful desires and empowers us to live transformed lives as we cooperate with his work in our lives.
Romans 12:9-21 One of the most powerful ways Christians impact those around them is by the way they relate together. Sometimes we simply take for granted this mysterious thing called “fellowship”, yet many people in modern society long for this. A common observation of the early Christians by their pagan neighbours was: “See how they love one another”. In this message we are challenged to make this love practical, not just to our best friends, but also to the those…
Romans 12:9-13 The Christian community is a family that includes much diversity. But if we are going to live as a family, we will need to have a love for each other that reflects God’s love; in Quality, Commitment and Expression. We need to be mastered by the love of Jesus.
Romans 12:1-2 Living sacrifices respond to the mercies of God by offering themselves to God. Listen as we contemplate the ways in which God has shown us mercy. May a clear view of God’s mercy lead us to live committed, transformed lives for His glory.
With secular humanism steadily gaining ascendancy in Australia today, Christians are being told to keep their faith private. And if they don’t, they are accused of “imposing” their outdated views on modern society. How did this happen? What does this mean for the place of Christians and the church in an increasingly pagan society? And how should we respond in the face of this opposition? In this message Pastor Murray reminds us firstly, that we should not be surprised by…
Jesus has done everything we need to be saved and we can not be saved by any good works that we do. How then do we reply to the statement, “It doesn’t matter if I sin because God will forgive me and he gets to show his grace more?” This passage deals with this question and looks at the implications for the Christian to be united with Christ, particularly united in his death and resurrection.
When we have a bit of time to step back and take a look at the big picture of our lives, we realise that life is full of ups and downs. For Christians, all these ups and downs fit into a bigger story. That’s because Christians have been adopted into God’s family and have graciously become his own children. That means that God is the true father of Christians, that Christians are now expected to live like they are in that new family, and because they’re in a new family they can expect new privileges. The main privilege Christians can expect is sharing in Christ’s glory, but that is a hope for the future while now Christians can expect suffering. But Christians can expect that the suffering they go through now is preparing them for the glory that is coming.
If you are a Christian today, you soon realise how different your morals and values are from many of those around you. The Bible even tells us that we should expect to feel like “strangers” and “foreigners” in the secular culture in which we live. But why does this gap exist, and why does it seem to be getting wider? Romans 1 is devastating expose of what goes wrong when people reject God and live without any reference to Him. Supposedly intelligent people become fools, they worship idols, and God lets them experience fully the consequences of their deliberate choice to live in sin. Rebellion towards God and freedom to live without restraint are a lethal cocktail, as this message explains. People who live this way face the terrible prospect of the wrath of God. But there is hope! The “good news” is that those who sincerely turn from their sinful ways and trust in Jesus Christ can be saved. This “gospel” is God’s power, and it’s available today!