"Sunday Morning" Tagged Sermons (Page 35)
Sunday Morning
The journey of faith
The Christian life is a journey… a journey of faith. And perhaps no one models this better for us than Abraham. He was far from a perfect man (thankfully!), but his continual dependence on God over his lifetime still speaks powerfully to us today. Here was a man who implicitly believed the promises of God and clung to those promises year after year. Some of them were fulfilled in his lifetime. Some were not. Yet his unwavering faith that God would one day fulfil those promises enabled him to live and die a contented man. Even today those who have faith in Jesus Christ are called ‘children of Abraham’. The entire Christian life, ’from first to last’, is a journey of faith as we learn in daily life what it means to love, obey, trust and serve our faithful God.
Faith in everyday life
Hebrews 11 is the best known chapter in the Bible when it comes to the subject of faith. And in this chapter we encounter numerous examples of people from the Old Testament who actually lived by faith in the circumstances they faced. Today we look at two of these people – Enoch and Noah. Despite much sin and godless opposition from the world around them, their faith shone through by the way they continued to trust God and live for Him. In many ways there are parallels for Christians today as we face growing antagonism. As it was then, the answer is to focus on God’s promises (now seen in Jesus Christ) and keep walking by faith in Him.
What is faith?
Whether we realise it or not, we all exercise faith on a daily basis – the chair we sit on, the plain we catch, the tablets we take etc. Likewise, Christian faith is something we exercise as a natural part of our day-to-day dependence on God. In this message Pastor Murray helps us understand what this means in practical terms as it affects our view of the future, things we cannot see or touch, and creation. Ultimately, faith in God, true life-shaping faith, causes us to worship Him, which we see exemplified in the life of Abel. All faith leads us to God whose promises to us find their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
When the Going Gets Tough
Bad things happen! What’s more, bad things happen to Christians! They happen because of our own sinfulness, because of the sinfulness of others, and because we live in a world seriously damaged by sin. So how does the Christian cope when bad things happen in life? In today’s passage the readers are encouraged in two specific ways to keep themselves from losing heart and falling away from Christ. Real faith is persevering faith. It actually becomes stronger when the going gets tough. Faith rests in the certainties of Christ when circumstances seem hopeless. What are you facing today? Look up: “The righteous person will live by faith”!
Peter Francis: Praying The Missional Heart Of God
Long before Jesus gave the ‘Great Commission’ he taught his disciples to pray the ‘Great Petition’, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done.” Such a prayer will always compel us to become shares in the mission of God in this world.
The High Calling Of Being A Mother
It seems as though our culture today is confused about the role of motherhood. On the on hand it champions the place of women and celebrates childbirth, yet at the same time it suggests that when it comes to the task of raising children and managing your home, this is in some way the last option for women and not her first choice. The role of those who chose to stay at home and raise their children is often discounted and at times demeaned. Listen as Pastor Dave looks at what the Bible has to say about the role of motherhood, that it is indeed a high calling and sacred duty that ultimately points our children to Jesus.
The Seriousness of Sin
WARNING! This message contains themes that most people don’t want to hear about… namely sin, judgement and hell. In an age of “warm fuzzies” and non-judgementalism it is not politically correct to even hint that a person’s sin might have consequences. Our passage today is aimed specifically at people who claim to be Christians, and seem to be comfortable mixing in church circles, but have no conscience about deliberately and shamelessly committing certain sins. To do so is to make a mockery of the sacrifice Jesus has made for our forgiveness, and to expose us to the judgement of God. Yes, sin is problem we all face. But that is why we must keep repenting. Blatant ongoing sinning is another matter. Let us never forget that “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
Putting faith into practice
Despite what we sometimes think, doctrine is important. Things like doctrinal statements and creeds set a foundation for our faith. The first 9+ chapters of the book of Hebrews are important, meaty doctrine. But doctrine that is not translated into Christian living is useless. So in today’s message we see a distinct shift in focus to our practical response as we absorb and process all that Christ has done for us. The writer throws out three big challenges, which urge us to think seriously about the way we relate to God, the way we see the future, and the way we care for one another. In particular, Pastor Murray raises the touchy issue of church attendance. Of course, it’s good for us to get to church, but it’s also vitally important because of how it enables us to “spur each other on toward love and good deeds”.
Staying Strong as the Battle Goes On
Why is it that some churches survive and flourish while others struggle and die? Of course, there is no simplistic answer to that question, but it is still worthwhile asking it. The great apostle Paul planted many churches and longed to see them staying strong, even in the face of stiff opposition. As he concludes his letter to the church at Ephesus, he gives a profound challenge which can be applied to every church in every generation, including our church today. In short he tells us that we are in a serious spiritual battle with the devil, so we must utilise the resources which God himself provides if we are to remain strong in this battle. Listen in as Pastor Murray spells out the “armour” we need to withstand the “flaming arrows” aimed against us, so that as God’s people we can hold our ground and keep growing into the future.
A Fresh Start with Jesus
All of us have dark pages (or even chapters) in our life story. How we wish we could tear those pages out! How we wish we live that part of life over again. The disciple Peter was in this situation when Jesus confronted him on the beach at Galilee that morning a couple of weeks after the resurrection. Peter would have been dreading this moment after denying Jesus so blatantly three times on the night before the crucifixion. In this message we see how beautifully Jesus dealt with Peter… helping him face his sin, giving him a chance to declare again his love and loyalty, restoring him and recommissioning him for future ministry. This is a story of hope for every one of us. Do you need a second chance? Then be encouraged as Pastor Murray opens up this final chapter in our series from the Gospel of John.
A Doubter Becomes a Believer
The story of “Doubting Thomas” is set in Christian concrete, but deep down there is more than a bit of Thomas in every true believer. We are like the father of the boy Jesus healed, who said: “I believe; help my unbelief!”. Thomas was cautious by nature. Faith did not come easily to him. But at least he was open to becoming convinced of the truth about Jesus’ resurrection. That’s more than can be said for many people today. We have the eye-witness testimonies recorded for us in our Bibles. We have 2000 years of personal testimonies of people who claim to have encountered the risen Jesus. And Jesus is throwing out the same challenge today: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Like Thomas, is it time for you to “stop doubting and believe”?
The Resurrection of Jesus
On that first Easter Sunday, a new reality dawned. Jesus had risen from the dead! Listen as we consider how this profound reality effects us.