St John’s Diamond Creek Talks

Good Friday - The Servant

Superheroes are huge at the moment. 2700 years ago, a prophet named Isaiah wrote about someone who would come and save the world; but unlike Superman, Batman, and the Flash, who are obviously super, Isaiah's hero is named The Servant. This ordinary character doesn't sound impressive, nor like they could save the world. Yet at Easter, we remember this person, this factual person, Jesus. 
The greatest outrage of our nation this year has been focused towards the Australian Cricket Team, and their faults and failings. The players broke the rules, and went against the spirit of the game, and have been harshly criticised by people who themselves, have undoubtedly bent or broken rules to their own benefit. No body does the right thing, all the time. No one! This is why we all need the hero of the Servant, of Jesus. We don't need to earn forgiveness, as God offers it freely through Jesus Christ, and his death on Good Friday.

The Servant - Obedient

Kirk wraps up our series on the prophecies of Isaiah, and the character of The Servant. Isaiah 50:4-11 speaks of the Servant being obedient, even to death, and that they are to be obeyed, in the same way that God is to be obeyed. The Servant, who we living so far in the future from these prophecies know to be Jesus, is said to bring a light into dark places. God doesn't promise to make life easy for Christians, and the Christian faith isn't one of earning God's love, but accepting God's freely given gift. God does promise to love us, though, and be with us in those dark places, and tough life circumstances we might find ourselves in.

The Servant - Light

Isaiah prophesied 700 years before Jesus was born, that a figure called the "Servant" would come. In Isaiah 49:1-13, it seems as though this Servant is the nation of Israel; but at the same time, is going to restore Israel. This Servant will also restore the entire Earth, all the nations, and show God's compassion to everyone. Tim looks at how we as a Church are likewise called to serve the nations beyond our own walls.

The Servant - Justice

Some 700 years before Jesus, a guy named Isaiah wrote about a mysterious person called "The Servant of the Lord". Tim begins this series looking at the Servant being the one to bring justice to the world. Chapter 42 of Isaiah is applied directly to Jesus in the book of Matthew, referring to Jesus as the Servant who God has chosen, and it is this passage which Tim focuses on in this talk. 

Vision 2022 - Sharing Jesus

Julie Blinco puts on her P-Plates and delivers her first talk at St John's. Wrapping up our Vision 2022 series, she looks at how we are to share Jesus, and 4 practical things we can all be doing.
This week's talk refers to Acts 20:17-24.

Vision 2022 - Growing In Jesus

Trusting that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, by 2022 we aim to be: An Intergenerational Community, which is Loving like Jesus, Growing in Jesus, and Sharing Jesus. Tim this week, looks at how, as a community, we can be Growing In Jesus. We grow up and mature in many ways in our life, but how do we mature in our relationship with Jesus in our work, in our school, in our everyday lives? 
In Colossians 1:28, this episode's passage, Paul writes that we should be proclaiming Jesus, admonishing (or correcting), and teaching everyone with all wisdom. Tim explores these three areas, and how we carry them out with 'all wisdom'.

Vision 2022 - Loving Like Jesus

In this week's episode, Tim looks at the first point of our Church Vision, to "Love Like Jesus". Love is thrown around in our culture all the time, and something that everyone gets on board with. Jesus shows us a much deeper way of loving though. Christian love doesn't come naturally or easily, and involves massive personal sacrifice. God is love, God loves us, and if we love one another, God lives in us. 
The bible reading for this talk is 1 John 4:7-12.

Vision 2022 - An Intergenerational Community

Kirk continues unpacking our new church vision, Vision 2022, looking at our desire to be an intergenerational community. Jesus asks his followers, "Who is my mother, and who is my brother?". As Christians, we are all a part of God's family, and should treat each other as such. Doing life together, with people from generations outside of your own, can be one of the best examples of Christian life.
The bible reading for this talk is Matthew 12:46-50.

Vision 2022 - Know Jesus, Make Jesus Known

This week at our annual St John's Training Day, senior minister Tim Johnson explores how we should consider our priorities, in the context of St John's Vision 2022, when compared to knowing Jesus and making him known. In an example of this from the New Testament, Paul writes to the church in Philippi telling them of a choice he has come to make. A choice between knowing Jesus and everything else in his life.
This week's Bible reading is from Philippians 3:7-11.

Look at Jesus - Follow Me

In the fourth instalment of our Look at Jesus series, senior minister Tim Johnson explores the social connections we form with people of different faiths and the negative stigma around the Christian faith as he challenges us to always be ready to defend our faith. In the Bible, we see Philip invite Nathaniel to meet Jesus.
Tim references the Bible at John 1:43-51