2017-11

Jesus and the Spirit - The Truth

The truth is sometimes hard to hear. Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as an advocate, which Kirk spoke about last week, and the Spirit of Truth. What does that mean for us? Sam explores this idea in the second of our Jesus and the Spirit series.

Walk in the Light - Holding to Truth

Continuing our Walk in the Light series, Tim looks at the three tests and measures John gives us to gauge how we're going with walking in the light of Jesus. 1: Follow the commands of God, in the context of a relationship with him. We don't follow God's commands to earn his love; rather God loves us regardless, and to honour him, we strive to follow his commands. 2: How do we treat each other? With love, or with hate? Finally, 3: Do you continue to believe the truth about Jesus, that he his the son of God.
If you're wrestling with these tests and questions, keep asking questions about them. They are of vital importance, and fundamental to the Christian faith.

Jesus and the Spirit - The Advocate

As Christians, we believe in one God, with three distinct identities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The first two of these, are pretty easy to understand, at a basic level. God the Father is the big guy in the sky, God the Son is Jesus, God in human form, but the Holy Spirit? That's tougher to wrap our tiny human brains around. This series looks at what Jesus said about the one who would come after him, the holy spirit. 

Walk in the Light - Dealing with sin

The beginning of a new series in our morning services, Tim Johnson looks at the start of a letter written by John, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. John wrote this letter as someone who was there with Jesus, who had seen him, and heard what he had to say. The letter is not an intellectual exercise, and the truth of God shapes the way we live. 
Our challenge is to walk in the light of God, rather than to persist in darkness. You might be conscious of areas of your life, which you struggle to hand over to God, and you might be worried about how that affects your relationship with God. Worry not! John is clear, the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. John doesn't say we need to get rid of every sin in our life, but that we should strive to walk in the light; not worried when we fail (which we all will).

St John's 150th Birthday Celebration

On our 150th birthday, we gathered as a body of believers to celebrate. We were joined by Archbishop Philip Freier, who spoke from John 15.

Hope In Hard Times - Ruth 4

The final chapter in our series on Ruth, our story concludes with the redemption of Ruth and Naomi through Boaz. The book concludes with a list of names, of the descendants of Ruth, all the way to King David, the greatest king of the Old Testament. The New Testament, and the story of Jesus begins with a similar list, from Abraham to David, and then to Jesus himself. 
Ruth was part of God's plan, and if you think you aren't, you're wrong. God brings all kinds of people, and brings them into a relationship with himself.