Disciples Church Sermons

Our series on the Ten Commandments reaches its conclusion this Sunday as we look at the subject of coveting. There's nothing wrong with noticing what other people have, but it becomes a problem when it stops us being thankful to God for what He has given to us.

The second last of the Ten Commandments is a call to truth telling. The old saying "Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me" simply isn't true. Lies hurt people deeply. The Bible describes Satan as the father of lies - he loves it when we lie, because he knows it is so relationally damaging. We worship God when we do not bear false witness against our neighbour. 

Taking things that don't belong to us is the subject of the 8th Commandment. It implies the endorsement of having personal property, and it requires us to respect what other people own. As Christians, we are freed to hold on to the things of this world very lightly, because we know that ultimately we will have much treasure in Heaven.

In this sermon, Pastor Greg Gardiner looks at the third of the "horizontal" Commandments - you must not commit adultery. Now once again, at first glance, this appears to be fairly straight forward. But also once again, the teaching of Jesus on this Commandment takes everything to a whole new level. It's not just the physical act that we need to be concerned about, but the lust in our hearts!

Everybody knows that murder is wrong... right? Surely we don't need a commandment from God for us to get that. Anyone in your street would tell you that to take a life is wrong, and they could probably mount a reasonable defence of why it's wrong. But it quickly becomes more complicated when you have to consider when life begins, and what value you place on a life. To mention nothing of how Jesus...

The Ten Commandments now makes the transition from the "vertical commandments" - those that address our relationship with God- to the "horizontal commandments" - those that address our relationship with others. And it starts with our parents. Augustine wrote "If anyone fails to honour his parents, is there anyone he will spare?"

Of all the Ten Commandments, the one that has been most confusing for Christians, is number 4. How do we "observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy"? Some say this is the only commandment that is no longer relevant. In this sermon, Pastor Greg helps us understand what is required by this commandment, and what it means for followers of Jesus.

We often think that the third Commandment is simply about not using the Lord's name as a curse word. But it goes much further than that. In this sermon, Pastor Greg explains that as Christians, we bear the name of Christ, and so our lives are a constant witness to our beautiful Saviour.

The second Commandment builds on the foundation of the first, endeavouring to direct our worship away from the things of this world to the only One who deserves our worship.

Bruce Lowe originally hails from Australia, but is currently serving as the Professor of New Testament and Dean of Students at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Bruce is married to Rachel and they have five children. Bruce has served on the Council of Reference for Disciples Church since it was planted. He is preaching here from Mark's Gospel and encouraging us to be trusting...

This sermon is the first in a new series looking at the Ten Commandments. As Christians living under "the covenant of grace," how are we to approach these ten rules that God gave to Moses? We start, of course, with the first - you must not have any other god but me. Our challenge is to understand this command through a Gospel lens.

Psalm 103 is one of the many praise Psalms. A close look at this Psalm reveals to us that praise doesn't happen in a vacuum. To praise God with all our heart is a response to our experience of His grace personally, and His love persistently. We will be encouraged to join with the Psalmist in reflecting on our experience with God and letting this fuel our praise!

What does it mean to ‘experience' God? Are there rules to meeting with God? Is there a time, or a place? What does it feel like to be in the presence of the Creator of the Universe? Thankfully, we don’t need to guess! The book of Psalms is like a journal that give us insight into both who God is, and what it is like to be with Him. This week, we look at Psalm 63 - a psalm that is especially helpfu...

How do we live a fruitful life in service to the Lord? Answer: remain connected to Jesus - or as the older translations say, Abide in Him. When Jesus described His followers as branches and Himself as the vine, He was speaking of the power of relationship. Disconnected from Christ, we are powerless and fruitless.

How can we know what is true? Jesus said that He is the truth, and so if we know Jesus, then we know the truth. He also said He was the way, and the life. If you know the truth of the Gospel, then you know the way to the Father, and you will have eternal life.

As Jesus makes His fifth “I AM …” claim, He once again displays the power to back up the bold statement He is making. Jesus claims to be the Resurrection and the Life right before bringing Lazarus back to life. Even though this statement is tied to that amazing moment in time, in what ways does it resonate through to us as modern day believers? What does it mean for us to follow Jesus as the Resur...

John's Gospel contains no parables, but it is awash with illustrations! This Sunday we will look at Jesus' description of Himself as the "gate for the sheep" and also the "shepherd of the sheep." What did Jesus mean by these illustrations?

"Why are the nations so angry?" - so begins Psalm 2. It seems nothing much has changed since the Psalmist first penned those words. And it all points to a futility in rejecting the Lord and His rule over the world. But not all is lost. There is refuge for those who submit to God's royal son, Jesus!

What happens when light enters a darkened space? The darkness is driven back and extinguished wherever the light reaches. When Jesus reveals Himself as the light of the world, He is claiming to be the one from whom darkness flees. He drives back the darkness in the world, but also each of our lives. What are the effects of exposure to the light of Christ upon those who follow Him? This week, we’ll...

Most of us love to eat. Just the basics will do, but a flavour filled meal will bring us enjoyment. Food brings about physical satisfaction. The hungrier you are, the greater the satisfaction eating brings. What about when it comes to spiritual hunger and satisfaction? Jesus’ first I AM statement, “I AM The bread of life”, makes a bold claim on this topic. What does He mean by this? And how does t...

What would it be like to meet with a king or world leader? For most of us, I imagine it would come with a level of trepidation. Moses experienced this in huge way as he encountered the One who has the place of highest prominence, speaks to him from a burning bush.

As we saw recently studying the life of Jacob, God is not only present in Jacob’s life, but sovereign over all things - working together the good, the bad and the ugly for His glory and Israel’s good. Psalm 135 remembers this story and celebrates who God is and what he has done across Israel’s history. With great joy, we can trust that, unlike the man-made idols of our hearts, the name of the Lord...

Psalm 130 describes our journey out of shame - the shame caused by our sin. It's a journey enabled by the actions of God, the One with ultimate significance, worth and fame. Jesus became insignificant, unworthy and was defamed on our behalf, to deal with our shame. As a result, we have a new vision, new significance and new worth.

In this final sermon in our series on the life of Jacob, Pastor Greg reflects on the growth we have seen in Jacob's relationship with the Lord, and how God has been faithful with His promises, and patient in His dealings with Jacob.

After another lapse into faithlessness, God graciously engages with Jacob again and reminds him of his vow to go to Bethel. There, God reinforces his covenant with Jacob, reminding him of his new identity as "Israel," and Jacob responds in worship.