Merri Creek Anglican

Jesus says to practice your devotional life in private and not show off your righteousness to others. But is that really our problem in western secular culture in 2024? What are the challenges for us as we desire to draw near to God, and how can we cultivate wonder and imagination in an era where the spiritual realm is rarely imagined or trusted.

Love for enemies is the non negotiable and high call of Jesus to us in this part of the Sermon on the Mount- and it lies at the heart of the christian message. But how can we activate this in our faith when it is so hard to do?

In this message from the sermon on the mount Peter focusses on the challenging words of Jesus along with other bible passages about the topic of marriage, divorce and remarriage - and speaks to the complexities and questions we may have today.

Tom speaks about the 5 star righteousness that Jesus lived out in regards to anger, and he invites us to learn from him, laying down anger and seeking reconciliation.

In this topical sermon Peter speaks from Paul's writing to the Corinthian church to encourage and remind us to give joyfully from the heart, knowing that it is God who pours out his grace upon us.

These key verses in the Sermon on the Mount speak of Jesus who fulfils all we read in the Old Testament and whose perfect righteousness becomes our own.

We continue on in the Sermon on the mount with these classic images Jesus uses to describe his followers. But what fears or concerns do we have about standing out in this world? Peter inspires us to think about what it looks like to be Jesus transformative presence in the world.

The final in our series on the Beatitudes and falls of the week we mark Aboriginal Sunday. Peter speaks about the need for peacemakers in these lands we call Australia, in the interest of justice for first nations peoples, and tells stories of those who have already been a part of the story of reconciliation.

Beck continues our series on human flourishing with the next two beatitudes from Jesus Sermon on the Mount in Matthews gospel. “ Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Emma continues our series on human flourishing with the next two beatitudes from Jesus Sermon on the Mount in Matthews gospel. “ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Emma begins our series on human flourishing with the first two beatitudes from Jesus Sermon on the Mount in Matthews gospel. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”

The best present we can receive at Christmas is Jesus. He is the expression of Gods amazing love for us.

To see the glory of God is life altering, and we have seen it in Jesus. Because we believe in him we can persevere in the faith.

What does it mean for Jesus' followers to be born again and to shine like stars in the world? Beck speaks from Paul's letter to the Philippians and talks about taking along look at Jesus to inspire humilty and unity in the church .

As we continue on in our Advent series Beck invites us to lament the darkness of our world, and to look and long for the light breaking in through Jesus.

The first in our 2023 Advent series "Light of the World", Emma speaks about the wonder of the incarnation.

In this final Song of Songs sermon Peter unpacks the most sexually explicit passage in the whole Bible. The desire of one man for one woman in marriage is a beautiful thing and speaks to our collective desire for an even better husband- Christ for the church.

What makes for a good marriage partnership? And what makes a person attractive? Song of Songs has wisdom for us about what healthy intimate relationships look like, and how as a church we can support each other to be discerning in love.

Peter explores song 9 of Song of Songs- where the young woman longs and looks for her lover, bringing him home to her mother's house. How does this story / fantasy speak to our own longings for intimacy with another, and even our longing for the love of God?

The first in our series on Song of Songs, Peter speaks about the goodness of our sexuality and desire, and reminds us of the intense love God has for us.

In the final of this series, we are reminded of how powerful Jesus is by looking at the story of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.

The final in our Love your Neighbour series, Naomi Chua from Embrace Sanctuary Australia shares her work of connecting churches with newly arrived refugees in Australia. WIth this in mind she encourages us to heed the Shema of Deuteronomy - Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbour as yourself.

David Chan from City Bible Forum Melbourne joins us at Clifton Hill this week to talk about Love for our neighbours at work. David talks about the meaning and value of our work and encourages us not to to neither look for our fulfillment and purpose in our work, nor regard it as nothing- but rather to see our work as God given and an opportunity to worship God and serve and support others.

The third in our Encounters with Jesus series, Mavis explores the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well as a picture of what it looks like to encounter and trust Jesus - the God who knows and loves us. How will this story draw us nearer to God and receive the living water he offers?

the second in this series Encounters with Jesus, Emma speaks from John's gospel - the Raising of Lazarus and encourages us to understand and live in the light of God's presence with us through Jesus Christ by his Spirit.