Disciples Church Sermons

Genealogies in the Bible often come across as boring time wasters. But if you take a moment to look into them a bit, you often find some very cool facts, to say nothing of the spiritual lessons that may be learned. This Sunday we look at the third of the genealogies to be found in Genesis, this time showing the link between the family of Noah and Abraham. It is a demonstration of the faithfulness...

Pastor Greg Gardiner begins our new series focussing on the life of Abraham. It begins with a story of rebellion, as humanity rejects God to build a tower to their own glory. Pride always takes us in the direction of independence and disobedience - and never ends well!

What would change if we lived like we really believed that God is gracious? For each of the 4Gs there is a corresponding application. If we truly believed God is gracious, it would mean that we do not have to prove ourselves. As Christians, we speak about the graciousness of God, but we quickly forget this truth when confronted by our failures.

What would change if we lived like we really believed that God is good? For each of the 4Gs there is a corresponding application. If we truly believed God is good, it means that we do not have to look elsewhere for satisfaction. As Christians, we often say, and sing, that God is good, but we quickly forget this truth when we face difficulties and then take solace in other things.

What would change if we lived like we really believed that God is glorious? For each of the 4Gs there is a corresponding application. If we truly believe God is glorious, it means that we do not have to fear others. As Christians, we often sing about God being glorious above all things, but we quickly forget this truth when we face certain people and situations.

What would change if we lived like we really believed that God is great? For each of the 4Gs there is a corresponding application. If we truly believed God is great, it means that we do not have to be in control. As Christians, we often give lip-service to God being sovereign and in control of all things, but we quickly forget this truth when things don't go according to our plan.

This coming Sunday we'll hear Jesus' climactic vineyard parable, a parable in which He exposes and condemns the religious leaders in Jerusalem. These leaders failed to produce the fruit God intended. As we'll see, God is building a new nation of fruit-bearers. Through faith in the true Fruit-bearer, Jesus Christ, lives - even undeserving people like you and me - can be redeemed and made fit for th...

In our passage this week we see Jesus curse a fig tree because it has no fruit! If this isn't a hangry temper outburst from Jesus, what's going on? Jesus is teaching us an important lesson: He seeks fruit from His people. A superficial display of godliness won't do. So where does fruit come from? As we'll see, where there's genuine faith at the roots, God glorifying fruit can always be found.

Jesus, the rightful King, returns to His city and to His house, the temple. He's clearly not impressed with the state of things! We'll see that Jesus is passionate about building a new kind of temple - a people who love His reign, rejoice in His salvation and who bring him the kind of worship He deserves. Among other things, that means He'll have some house-cleaning work to do in our own hearts to...

We've just heard Jesus teach that in His Kingdom, the first will be last, and the last first. Seems a lot easier said than done. What does it look like? In our passage this Sunday Jesus walks it out before us. The greatest is the one who serves. As Jesus' followers, that's our path too. The path to joy, glory, fulfilment, greatness... is the path of the cross.

How do you measure success? Who would you say are the true winners in life? In our passage this Sunday Jesus tells us a parable that completely upends and explodes our normal categories of winning and losing, of fairness and deserving. What's the key difference in God's Kingdom? It's God's free grace. It's learning to delight in this grace and live by it that matters most.

Most of us dream of being rich - able to afford that house, that car, that holiday. "Wouldn't it be nice!" says the Gold Lotto ad. And yet Jesus said that it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That should be a sober warning to us. But does that mean that Christians shouldn't be rich? This Sunday, Pastor Greg will look at the interaction between Jesus and a rich young ma...

How do you typically respond when someone wrongs you? Depending on your personality, the classic response is either fight or flight: go on the attack, or totally withdraw from the one who has wronged you. How does the Gospel inform and transform our response? Our passage this Sunday provides probably the clearest answer we'll ever get to this question. In short, when our hearts are gripped by the...

Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? This is the question Jesus answers in the passage we are looking at this Sunday. Given that the question is borne out of a certain sense of pride, it's not surprising that His answer involves a large dose of humility. We hope you can join us when Pastor Greg Gardiner will help us unpack this challenging teaching from our Lord Jesus.

Is there a difference between faith and saving faith? Are there degrees of faith? These questions (as well as a few others) are addressed in the passage we are looking at this Sunday as we return to I Am With You Always, our sermon series from the Gospel of Jesus according to Matthew. Pastor Greg Gardiner will help us unpack the opening verses of this new section of Matthew, which will be the subj...

For followers of Christ, the Resurrection is the greatest moment in human history. This Easter Sunday we will focus on the hope that believers can have, both in this life and the next, because of Jesus' victory over the grave. This hope gives us joy so deep that the trials of this life cannot subtract from it, if we continuously cling tightly to the One who gives us this hope - Jesus.

In our busy lives, the urgent can often displace the important. One example of this for followers of Jesus is to neglect spending regular time with our Lord. And yet Scripture repeatedly tells us, and shows us, there is great value in making this a priority. This Sunday, a one-off message from Pastor Sly, encouraging us to be seeking the Lord in a regular time of personal devotion.

Jesus and His disciples have been on a hike, and this week we see them reach the top of the mountain. But not actually all of them. Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the very top for a special experience - the Transfiguration - an experience that changes them, and ends up changing the whole world!

Talk about going from hero to zero in a flash... that pretty much describes the Apostle Peter in the passage we are looking at this Sunday. Fresh from being described as "the rock" after declaring Jesus to be the Messiah, he then gets referred to as "Satan" for not wanting Jesus to go to the Cross. It's a lesson in looking at things from God's perspective rather than a human perspective.

Everyone seems to have an opinion about Jesus. It was the same 2,000 years ago in Galilee. But what about you? Who do you say I am? This was the question Jesus put to His disciples, and it solicited the famous response from Peter. This Sunday Pastor Rich Priebbenow will unpack this passage - one that Catholics and Protestants have been arguing over for 500 years!

In the Old Testament, the Prophet Isaiah makes a prophecy about a future banquet, hosted by the Messiah, and involving people from all over the world. This Sunday, we look at the miracle of Jesus feeding the 4,000, and see a beautiful connection between this miracle and the Isaiah prophecy.

This Sunday we study the interaction between Jesus and an audacious woman who is desperate for her daughter to be well. Thing is, she's a gentile. How will Jesus treat her? His response is both a lesson to His disciples (including us) and a declaration of the reach of the new covenant of grace.

What is the ultimate authority - the church or the Bible? What's more important - the posture of your heart or your words and actions? And what's any of this got to do with washing your hands?