Jamberoo Anglican

Humanly speaking, it’s baffling to try and work out just why the religious leaders were so threatened by the message of Jesus that they were comfortable to punish and even execute those who preached this ‘good news’. And yet even through these tragic events, Jesus kept building his church, and this is exactly what we see as Jodie teaches us from the next instalment in our series from the New Testa...

1 If we model our church on Acts 2:42 they why don’t we also share fully in our possessions? 2 Doesn’t Acts 4:32 suggest that the early Christians had no personal ownership of possessions? 3 Is Acts 5 the only place we learn that the Spirit is God, or does it reaffirm other teachings? 4 Would the flogging of the Apostles be the same as that which Jesus endured? 5 If we act independently due to our...

This week as Jodie teaches us from the Bible we'll see a time just after the first Easter when the church was under attack from Satan. He tried to stop the growth of the church through persecution from religious leaders, and then from internal selfishness and corruption, and then finally from distraction from the main activity of speaking about Jesus.

1 How can we repent of all our sins if we can’t remember them all? 2 Is it bad for a Christian to want to date a non-Christian? 3 How can we love our neighbour if we don’t love ourself? 4 Can people predict the return of Jesus? 5 If someone believes in Christianity as well as another religion, will they go to heaven? 6 Did Jesus go to hell in the time between his death and resurrection? 7 Would th...

This week we look at Acts chapters 3 and 4, with the topic ‘The Launch of Persecution’, as Jodie will show us how the extraordinary kick-start from the Day of Pentecost led to an amazing miracle, which then led to some pretty intense opposition from the legal eagles.

1 Where does the Bible say that the Holy Spirit is a ‘he’? 2 How did the Bible writer know that Judas went to hell? 3 After Pentecost, did the believers speak their original languages? 4 How long did it take to baptise 3000 people? 5 Why were people healed after touching Jesus? 6 Can Christians perform healing miracles today? 7 What stops Christians performing healing miracles today?

In this talk from Acts 2, Jodie talks us through one of the most remarkable events in the life of the church, as the so-called ‘Day of Pentecost’, which brought an amazing boost to the life of the early church.

1 Is ignoring your parents a sin? 2 Is the book called ‘Acts’ or ‘Acts of the Apostles’? 3 Could ‘Acts’ be called ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’ or ‘Acts of the Early Church’? 4 What makes the Apostles so special? 5 How can Jesus be returning soon if the good news has not yet been preached to all nations? 6 Did Judas go to hell? 7 Should we pray to the Holy Spirit?

We kick off our all-new, eighteen-week series on the book of Acts titled ‘Launching the Church’ with this first talk called ‘Prepare to Launch!’, as Jodie speaks to us from Acts chapter one. Jesus prepares his apostles for his ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and then the apostles choose a replacement for Judas.

1 If God doesn’t forgive blasphemy then what hope do we have if we’ve ever committed this sin? 2 Why do we follow some Bible commands but not others? For example, why don’t our men pray with hands lifted up, and our women avoid wearing expensive jewellery? 3 Does a child still need to honour abusive parents? 4 Since wives have been abused by their husbands, shouldn’t we stop teaching submission? 5...

In our final instalment from our journey through the Old Testament book of Judges, Jodie will present to us one more display of just what life is like when people walk away from the true and living God as we hear of two, dramatic examples of idolatry and immorality in the final five chapters of Judges.

1 What does the name ‘Samson’ mean? 2 Since Samson was bad, why didn’t God leave his side? 3 Was Samson literally ‘sick to death’ of his wife’s nagging? 4 How did Samson not realise that the Lord left him as soon as his hair was cut? 5 As Samson’s hair regrew, was his relationship with God also being restored? 6 Since the Lord is outside of time does that give insights into the ‘intermediate state...

Samson is one of the most comic-like characters in the Bible, with his super-hero powers that came unstuck from his weakness to women. In the eighth talk from the book of Judges, Jodie explores how this enigmatic man was both a sinner and a saint, through whom God spectacularly saved his people from their enemies, even when they didn't ask for it.

1 Since Jephthah was foolish to make his oath, why did he still keep it instead of admitting his folly? 2 Why didn’t God provide an animal for Jephthah instead of his daughter? 3 If a spouse leaves the marriage without mediation should the deserted spouse seek to negotiate? 4 If someone bullies you then should you negotiate or retaliate? 5 What happens to Christians in the time between when we die...

Jephthah was a man who showed excellence in negotiation, until he tried to strike an unnecessary deal with the Lord God. In our seventh talk from Judges, Jodie shows how insecurity and arrogance can bring about disaster in Christian leadership.

1 Why did God lead his people into battle when it’s a sin to kill or murder? 2 Why did Abimelech scatter salt over the ground after he captured the city? 3 What is going to happen in the ‘end times’? 4 Can people predict the second coming of Jesus? 5 What is ‘the Rapture’ and the seven years of tribulation? 6 When we pray “your kingdom come” are we praying for the coming of the Millennium? 7 How c...

Abimelech was truly the 'Son from Hell', as he acted to try and become king by murdering his 70 brothers. It was an ugly time in the history of God's people, but as Graham Errington shows us, it provided a fresh reminder of God's sovereignty and his plan for a king who acted kindly.

1 Do Christians in other countries preach the same things as we do in Australia? 2 Can people be healed or “converted” from homosexuality to being heterosexual? 3 Did God make us so that Jesus would die for us all because he wanted Jesus to die? 4 How can you tell if God is working in someone else’s life? 5 Doesn’t God get sick of having to forgive us all the time? 6 Do we have “free will”? 7 Did...

Gideon is a famous leader in the Bible, but it's surprising to see how much proof he needs in order to carry out God's call to leadership. In this fifth talk from Judges, Jodie McNeill looks at the life and leadership of Gideon, and his journey from fear to failure.

1. Why does God love us when we constantly sin against him? 2. Why did God make us when he knew we would reject him? 3. Why doesn’t God prevent people from making stupid mistakes? 4. Does God love everyone or only Christians? 5. What was the first Christian song? 6. What’s the difference between submitting and serving? 7. Can you be gay and still come to church?

When we are full of joy, we love to sing. In this fourth talk from the 'Hope Beyond Chaos' series from the book of Judges, Jodie McNeill takes us to the famous 'Song of Deborah' from chapter 5. Here we hear the joy of an unexpected but overwhelming victory by God over the enemies of his people through the victory of Deborah, Barak and Jael over Sisera and his army.

1 How would an Israelite be protected in the Passover if they couldn’t afford to sacrifice a lamb? 2 What is “the unforgivable sin”? 3 Does God “give” or “allow” sickness to happen to people? 4 Why does God kill people in the Bible when he’s supposed to be full of forgiveness and grace? 5 What is a ‘latrine’? 6 Since Catholics believe different things and pray to Mary, will they go to Heaven? 7 Wh...

1 Why did God pass over the houses of the Israelites at the Passover? 2 Why does God ‘give’ cancer to people who don’t deserve it? 3 How can someone ask for forgiveness after they’ve committed suicide? 4 Is it a sin to be angry at God? 5 Why does God make us wait for his answer to some prayers, and how do we gain patience?

It might seem odd to think that God would want us to laugh at the misfortune of enemies, but this is what we see in this remarkable section of the Bible, where an archenemy of God's people is neutralised in a hilarious fashion. Hear Jodie McNeill speak about how underdogs Ehud and Barak bring a surprising victory in God's strength.

The miracle of the book of Judges is that God keeps rescuing his people, even though their rebellion is drastic and repeated. In this second talk from the 'Hope Beyond Chaos' series, Jodie McNeill shows us the 'Cycle of Salvation', as God continues to show mercy on his rebellious people. Our sins, they are many, but his mercy is more!