Richmond Baptist Church

At Pentecost, the Spirit births a new community, the church, called to live as God’s people in this world even as we anticipate and work towards his coming. God re-establishes his people in this world, so that we might invite others to be part of what he is doing. This is where we find ourselves in the story today – how do we live in and out of this as God’s kingdom people today? Then the end of t...

Jesus is both the true King of the people of God, and also the true person, the first kingdom person. His life demonstrates what being the people of God looks like once and for all, and his death and resurrection open the way for us to be reconciled to God and live as his people forever. How do we worship and follow Jesus as the true kingdom person, and what does it look like to ‘in him’ as his pe...

The story of Israel in the Old Testament is the story of God building for himself a particular people, set apart for his purposes, to make his love and justice known to all people and to invite all back to relationship with him. Through this story God makes known his purpose and calling for his community of faith. How do we enter into and live out of this story?

When humanity rebels against God, it causes disruption in all our relationships: with him, with one another, and with all creation. People are scattered, distant from one another, and we find all kinds of divisions whether by culture, age, gender, or merely interest. How does this story shape our world today and how do we as God’s people respond?

God creates people from the ground and in His image. In Genesis 1-2 we have the story of his good creation and beautiful design, where all things are created and the high point is humanity whom God has created to be in relationship with him and with one another. How do we live today out of this story?

Claris pictures God imagining a people even before creating us. Paul’s explanation to the Ephesians presents a similar idea – God has a longing, a dreaming, an imagining of relationship. He then brings this about in the story of his creation, redemption and renewal of all things. How does this whole story come together and how do we live today out of this story?

Jesus says to his disciples, “Come follow me and you (plural) will be fishers of people.” What does this look like for us in our context today? How do we hear and practice this call differently knowing it is spoken to us as a community together?

When Jesus sends his disciples out on mission, his instructions are given to them as you (plural). How do these instructions to Jesus’ disciples work out in our lives today? How do we hear them differently knowing they are spoken to us together? How do we live them out as a community?

Jesus’ instructs his disciples to be different to the leaders and rulers of the world. He says, “If you (plural) want to be great you must become a servant.” What does this kind of servant leadership look like for us? How do we hear this differently knowing it is spoken to us together? How do we live this out as a community?

Jesus teaches his disciples to pray in faith, saying “Whatever you (plural) ask for you in prayer will be given to you.” What does it mean for us to pray with the kind of faith that can move mountains? How do we hear and respond to this differently knowing it is spoken to us as a community?

Both Matthew and Luke name Jesus as Joseph’s son, and this is how he is identified by people throughout his life. Jesus is part of human family and story. Jesus is also the Son of God, fully divine. What difference does it make for us that this is who Jesus is?

Matthew links Jesus’ genealogy to two key figures: Abraham and David, the inheritors of God’s specific promises in the Old Testament. Jesus is the king who will reign with justice and righteousness forever. What difference does it make for us that this is who Jesus is?

Matthew links Jesus’ genealogy to two key figures: Abraham and David, the inheritors of God’s specific promises in the Old Testament. Jesus is the ‘seed’ through whom all peoples on earth will be blessed. What difference does it make for us that this is who Jesus is?

As we celebrate the Christmas season, we want to take seriously the significance of the genealogies in the way Matthew and Luke tell the story of Jesus’ coming. By connecting Jesus to significant figures from Israel’s history, they are making clear that he is the one to whom their stories point, the one who fulfils all the promises that were made to them, and the one in whom their hopes are realis...

Arthur unpacks the wisdom gleaned from considering Song of Songs.

How does the universe point to who God is, who we are and how we are to respond?

What does the daily grind and the book of Ecclesiastes teach us about who we are and what God is like?

The first invitation of wisdom is to gain wisdom. How does the ancient wisdom literature of the Old Testament invite us to do this and provide us with a model for doing this today?

Aboriginal Christian Leader Brooke Prentis unpacks what the birds of the land (Emu, Ostrich, and Cassowary) can teach us about creation and Creator.

In this section Peter encourages those likely to suffer unjust treatment from human authorities. Peter shows how this brings those who suffer in line with the suffering Messiah but also that after suffering Jesus was victorious over all authorities in every dimension. Jesus has overthrown all their power and so his people are to live holding their heads up, keeping their consciences clear and trus...

In this section Peter imagines living differently every day in our workplaces and in our relationships. For Peter, this includes identifying with the crucified and suffering Messiah. This is true in the oppression of slavery back then and true in the oppression of meaninglessness and slavery to our work today. Peter also looks at the new way of life in our relationships. Peter’s words challenge th...

In this section Peter describes the people of God as aliens and strangers, citizens of two worlds. Peter offers a delicately balanced position of life lived with moral purity and life lived freely in Jesus. He imagines with his readers a new and true life lived while being challenged by bodily desires and societal pressures. Peter calls his readers to a life lived in front of others, letting them...

In this section Peter describes Jesus as the living stone. Peter is building on the Jewish imagination of the cornerstone of the Temple and using a play on words with the Hebrew word for son. Peter is suggesting that Jesus is the living stone and living Son on whom God will build something quite new. A living temple being built all over the world as God’s spiritual house. And this people of God in...