Sunday, 02 March 2014
The Christian life is a journey, travelling to a known destination. The journey is not always smooth but it is made easier by having faith in Jesus. In this passage from Mark, the disciples, at this stage of their ministry, were seeing things through their own eyes, but they needed to see things through Jesus' eyes. In our Christian faith journey we need to let Jesus drive, but we also need to let Him show us the sites on the way so that we see through His eyes and not through our own eyes. We need to look to Jesus and allow Him to take the control and direction of our lives.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Duration: 36 mins 49 secs
Throughout Jesus' ministry on earth, He healed and forgave sins of individual people, including in this passage, bringing a girl back from the dead. These acts are a foretaste of what Jesus will ultimately do - give His life so that all of us can be saved and enter into the Kingdom of God if we believe and accept Him as our Saviour. Jesus shows His power over nature in being able to calm the storm. It showed, at this stage, that His own disciples did not have faith and trust in Him. When things get tough for us, do we have faith and trust in Jesus to see us through? Jarius' faith was tested when he found out that his daughter had died. Jesus showed that He had power and authority even over death. As Christians, we know that we are not immune to disease, difficult times and ultimately death. Committing our lives to God means that we will conquer all of these things after our time on earth and will spend an eternity with Him.
Sunday, 16 February 2014
There are two groups when it come to Jesus - those who are on the inside and those who are on the outside. What does it mean to be on the outside of Jesus? It is not understanding and accepting what Jesus is on about. This passage highlights that at this stage, even His own family are not on board with Him. You can grow up in a Christian home and go to church, but you are still on the outside of Jesus if you have not committed and handed over your life to Him. As an outsider you can be sincerely or deliberately wrong. Either way, Jesus is rejected and there is no future in God's Kingdom. To be on the inside with Jesus you need to accept and respond to the call of God. You need to spend time with Jesus and live your lives that become an extension of His ministry in this world. There is no middle ground when it come to Jesus - you are either in or out. Which side of Jesus are you on?
Sunday, 09 February 2014
Duration: 39 mins 11 secs
Jesus looked up and saw the faith of the men who had brought the paralytic man to Him. We need to show this same sought of faith in bringing others to know Jesus. Jesus looked down and brought forgiveness of sins to the paralytic man. We need to come to Jesus, repent and believe, to have true forgiveness of our sins. Jesus looked around and saw the religious leaders. He looked within them and knew their inner most thoughts. Jesus knows everything about us. Jesus is the great healer. He came to bring people back into fulfillment, release them from their sin and to make them free. Jesus can't heal those people who either do not want to know Him, know Him but don't want to trust Him or don't think they need Him. Let us not miss the opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and what He has to offer - forgiveness, fulfillment and freedom.
Sunday, 02 February 2014
Duration: 37 mins 23 secs
The gospel of Mark is one of activity and action and it is about what Jesus did rather than what He said. In this chapter we discover the identity of Jesus, His authority and His compassion in the miracles He performed. Jesus is shown to be a servant, and as Christians, this is the calling that has been placed on our lives. We need to show compassion in serving others, but also allow others to serve us when needed. The challenge for us is shown in the healing of the man with leprosy. Jesus commanded him not to tell anyone what had happened to him, but the man disobeys and tells everyone about Jesus. Today we have a different command. Jesus says go and tell everyone, but we don't tell anyone. If we are to follow Jesus we are to live like Him and be like Him, and by our actions and word, tells other the good news about Jesus Christ.
Sunday, 26 January 2014
On this Australia Day, we can reflect on how great our country is - the lucky country! But as great as this country is, it is not our country, this world is not our home. We are foreigners and strangers, aliens to this world. But what does this mean? We need to put our faith and trust in God and follow Him. When we are born, our address is this world. When we are 'born again' our new address is heaven - God's kingdom. It can be difficult at times to walk the Christian life, but we are to persevere, put our faith and trust in Jesus and not turn back to our old ways. Is the focus of our lives for the things of this world or is it to put our faith and trust in Jesus and glorify God?
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Duration: 42 mins 25 secs
Earlier in this letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds the people of how they should live as followers of Christ. The same goes for us as Christians today. From Ephesians 4: 31-32, we are to get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander and every form of malice and instead be kind and compassionate to one another and show forgiveness to each other as God has forgiven us through Jesus Christ. In this passage, we are to stand firm for the Lord in all the challenges that life brings. We are told that Satan has many schemes to deceive and make us fail in our walk with the Lord. We need to remember the elements of the armour of God and recognise that we can't do this in our own strength, but only through prayer and the power of God. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then there is no room for Satan.
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Duration: 29 mins 27 secs
Our everyday life can be changed by the interjection of the enexpected. Over the past few weeks we have seen how this has happened to Zechariah, the Shepherds and Mary. In this passge, Simeon has a promise revealed to him, through the Holy Spirit, that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. When Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple Simeon is full of joy and praise because this promise has now been fulfilled. Has God's world crashed into yours through Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world? Do you have a relationship with Him?
Sunday, 08 December 2013
Duration: 24 mins 58 secs
Our world is far from perfect and Christmas time is no exception. The actual birth of Jesus was unremarkable - born in simple surroundings and laid in a animal feeding trough. There was great fear amongest the shepherds when the angels appeared to them. But the angels had good news - peace and salvation had arrived to the world in Jesus. The same good news is for us as well. We have nothing to fear if we stay close to Jesus. The shepherds spread the good of Jesus. We too are to spread the good news of the hope people can have in Jesus. We view peace as a world without conflict but Jesus came to this world to bring peace between us and God.
Sunday, 01 December 2013
Duration: 30 mins 52 secs
Zechariah doubted the news told to him by the angel Gabriel, that his wife Elizabeth would give give birth to a son. He was not able to speak until after his son's birth and through his obedience to God, was able to speak again when he indicated that his son was "to be named John". This passage is Zechariah's praise to God. It had been over 400 years since a prophet had mentioned the coming of the Mesiah and now Zechariah knows that God has not forgotten His people and His promise fulfilled. John is going to prepare the way for the coming of the Mesiah. Christmas is about the truth that God has finally visited us through His Son, Jesus. What does Christmas mean to you?
