Bible Talks

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

As Jesus sets his face firmly to go to Jerusalem and the cross, he has begun telling his apprentices regularly about his coming betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection. As they go on the way, Jesus shows and teaches what it means to follow him. To know God is both a blessing and life’s highest priority.

Luke 9:51-56 | Rejection

Luke 9:57-62 | Priorities (Resurrection Life)

Luke 10:1-16 | Sent with a Mission

Apprentices of Jesus

Jesus is teaching and training his disciples, as he prepares them to follow him. He is their Master, Teacher, and King, who has come to serve and suffer, in order to save those who would trust him and come under his name.

Luke 9:1-9 | Apprenticeship

Luke 9:10-17 | We Need the Master

Luke 9:18-27 | Following a Suffering Messiah (The Cost of Apprenticeship)

Luke 9:28-36 | Present Suffering, Future Glory

Luke 9:37-45 | So Much Still to Learn

Luke 9:46-50 | Welcome In His Name

Summer Series

John 1:1-18 | He Pitched His Tent Among Us

The Saving Power of Jesus' Word Pt. 2

“Who is Jesus?” Who can do such works and teach with such power? How is Jesus the Saviour?

Jesus reveals his power and authority as the Son of God and chosen Messiah. Jesus reveals his message and mission to those who would see and hear. Jesus leads his disciples to trust him, and he teaches them what it means to follow him in his mission. 

"But just speak a word!" | Luke 7:1-17

Unexpected Friend of Sinners | Luke 7:18-35

A Testimony to Forgiveness | Luke 7:36 - 8:3

Listening and Acting on His Word | Luke 8:4-21

To Bring Calm from Chaos | Luke 8:22-39

Trusting in Jesus to Save | Luke 8:40-56

Moving to Mission

True discipleship starts at home – moves into connecting and partnering with followers of Jesus – then expands to include others.

Based on a series from Caesar Kalinowski that leads us through simple steps that every follower of Jesus can partner in as a part of Jesus' mission:

Matthew 28:16-20 | A Bigger Gospel

Trust wholeheartedly and learn to communicate a much bigger gospel–one that impacts every area of your lives today.

Acts 2:42-47 | More Meals Together 

Making meal times meaningful and a safe doorway for others into friendship and conversations about following Jesus.

John 4:1-10 | Prayerfully Pick Your Place 

Find natural places in your town or neighbourhood that are a perfect fit for you to make friends and build relationships.

Luke 10:1-9 | Preparing the Way (People of Peace)

Identify friends and acquaintances who are “leaning in” to relationship and deeper conversations about faith.

John 5:19-24 | What Next Lord? 

Trusting the Holy Spirit to guide your next steps with people, and together as followers of Jesus.

Hebrews 2:5-18 | From Friends to Family 

Create daily disciple rhythms and environments for relational growth that are inviting and eventually help people to connect and engage with other followers of Jesus.

Luke 24:44-49 | The Story of God 

Communicate the Word of God in a simple and faithful way that everyone can grasp hold of with joy and pass on to others.

The Power of Jesus' Word to Save

“Who is Jesus?” Who can do such works and teach with such power? How is Jesus the Saviour?

Jesus reveals his power and authority as the Son of God and chosen Messiah. Jesus reveals his message and mission to those who would see and hear. Jesus leads his disciples to trust him, and he teaches them what it means to follow him in his mission, especially about rejection and suffering. 

Luke 4:14–30 |  The Gospel According to Jesus

Luke 4:31–44 | Authority and Power

Luke 5:1–11 | Recruiting Sinners - Reflection Questions

Luke 5:12–26 | To Make People Whole

Luke 5:27–39 | Even the Tax Man

Luke 6:1–11 | Have You Not Read?

Luke 6:12-26 | Master and Apprentices 

Luke 6:27-36 | Who is My Enemy?

Luke 6:37-42 | The Only Right Path is to Follow Jesus

Luke 6:43-49 How Does the Heart Change?

Resurrection Sunday 2022

John 20:24-31 | Hope Explored

Now these have been written in order that you may trust that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that in his name, as you are trusting, you may have life. ~ John 20:31

Jesus may not be physically visible on earth any more, but he is present through the words of his disciples and the work of his Spirit. And he says: “Stop doubting and put your trust in me”. He invites us to find life in his name. 

Trusting God's Plan

In this Sunday series we look at the first few chapters of the Gospel as recorded by Luke. We particularly focus on the way we see different people trusting God's plan of redemption. We are encouraged to trust God's plan of redemption as we follow Jesus today and into the future because we know His faithfulness and power to act in the past. 

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to present a narrative account concerning the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have given them over to us, it seemed good also to me, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it down methodically for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certain security of the words about which you were instructed. ~ Luke 1:1–4 

Luke 1:1-4 | Without Slipping

Luke 1:5-25 | The Bones You Crushed Will Rejoice

Luke 1:26-38 | Called

Luke 1:39-56 | With Joy and Praise

Luke 1:57-80 | A Sign of Certainty

Luke 2:1-21 | The Lord Messiah is Our Rescuer

 Luke 2:22-40 | Worth Waiting For 

Luke 2:40-52 | My Son, Take My Words

Luke 3:1-20 | Preparing the Road

Luke 3:21-38 | The Chosen One Revealed

Luke 4:1-13 | Jesus, The Faithful Son

The Story of God

The use of stories and times of deep, shared interaction are an historically proven and powerful way of helping people as they follow Jesus. We live in stories. Stories are the language of our world. Stories speak to the mind, the body, the emotions—our spirits. Together we learn about life as we connect through stories. We all yearn to know many of the same parts of the Story. . .

What happened before time began? How did all of this start? Who or what created me? Why do I exist? Does my life really matter? Does it have meaning? To whom? What happens after I die? Why is the world the way it is? Things don’t seem to be going that well. . . .

Learning the Story of God can be a starting point of following Jesus, with times of conversation, interaction, and reflection, that serve as a foundation for knowing who God is, knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and how we are part of the story.

every day Gospel Basics

The Gospel Story

In part one, we will walk through the character of God, our relationship with God, the results of sin, how Jesus came to make us right with God, and how God invites us to live on-mission. We want people to know who God is and what love is, so that when they hear, “God loves you!” they understand what it means. Because God is love and because He is forgiving and compassionate, Jesus comes and saves us. Because Jesus saves us and we are friends with God, we live on-mission.

For by that gracious favour you are saved through trusting in him, and this is not from yourselves it is the gift of God, not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, that God prepared beforehand, so that we might walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:8–10

Our Gospel Identity

When we put our trust in Jesus, we are made new, given a new beginning and a new end.

Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born again [from above], he is not able to see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

Peter, one of Jesus’s best friends, said, “...God has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

This new life has nothing to do with what we have done or what we can do. It has everything to do with who God is, what He has done, and what He can do. In this section of the journey, we are going to cover a few changes in our identity and what it means to be ”in Christ.“ Throughout this section, we will be reminded of God’s character and the new identity we receive in Christ.

These four lessons can be summed up in what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “So then, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; Look! New things have come!”

Our Gospel Life

We have learned about who God is and what He has done for us. We have also learned about how God changes us and makes us new people. Now we are going to talk about how we live and what we do differently because of Jesus.

We want to be equipped to see all of life as ministry and mission, to live out the gospel in everyday activities—everyday rhythms. There are transferable patterns or rhythms of life that we see throughout “The Story of God” and in every culture in every part of the world. Through each of these rhythms, people have the opportunity to walk by faith (walking in line with the truth of the gospel) or walk in fear or prideful rebellion to God (walking in unbelief).

Ephesians 4:1 says, “Therefore . . . lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”

Our Gospel Commission

We are the people of God, saved by the person and work of Jesus, for His purposes in the world in making disciples in everyday life.

Everyday People On Mission - John 7:7-39

The Expected One

New Advent series based on the Advent devotional 'The Expected One' by Scott James, and reflecting on how we might communicate the hope that we have with others.

"God didn’t just promise His people that a miracle child would be born. He also promised that this Child would grow up to be the loving Shepherd of His people, the place-switching Sacrifice, the resurrected Lord, and the righteous King who reigns in glory forever. But there is yet another promise: this King is coming back for His people!" ~ Scott James

Always Prepared | 1 Peter 3:8-17

An encouragement during whatever circumstances we face, to be prepared in our hearts and in our thinking, to pursue the well-being of others, and to speak of our hope in Jesus.

Jonah: How We Are God’s Mission While On God’s Mission 

Jonah is an interesting character. We see Jonah's heart revealed in his resistance as he is called to a confronting mission. The compassion of Yahweh is seen in his work to bring heart change in both Nineveh and Jonah. this series will inspire and challenge us as we consider the mission He calls us to, our role in it, and how the gospel can come to our towns and cities. 

Come Back Stronger

Based on a sermon series from Red Church in Melbourne, 'Come Back Stronger' is a series that reflects on scripture and examples of how God uses times of disruption, restriction, and crisis to move us into deeper dependence and fellowship with him, and opening our hearts to the power and work of his Spirit.

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy

A Sunday series based on the book 'Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy'. It is a series that looks at Psalms and Lamentations and how the Bible encourages us to voice our fears and struggles toward God and at the same time our walk with him deepens as our hearts are open to him.