The 9012 Project — Bible Talks by Glenn Farrell

They knew His name. They called Him a prophet. They were not wrong. But they were not right enough. In Matthew 21, Jesus enters Jerusalem as King. The crowd sees Him, speaks about Him, even honours Him. But they do not recognise Him for who He is. It is possible to be close to Jesus and still miss Him.

Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard, tenants, and a son who is rejected. The problem is not lack of activity, but rejection of the Son. This sermon works through Matthew 21:33–46 and asks a simple question: what will we do with him?

In Matthew 21:17–32 Jesus confronts a dangerous illusion: things that look alive, righteous, and obedient… but aren’t. A leafy fig tree with no fruit. Religious leaders with authority but no repentance. A polite son who says the right words but never does the Father’s will. Through three scenes, Jesus exposes the difference between signals and reality. God is not looking for impressive leaves. He...

When Jesus enters the Temple in Matthew 21:12–16, everything changes. Tables are overturned. The blind and the lame are healed. Children recognise the King while the religious leaders miss Him entirely. This sermon follows that moment closely: not as a moral lesson about anger, but as the arrival of the true King in His house. The Temple is judged, mercy breaks out, and the voices that matter most...

The first will be last. The last will be first. In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a story about wages and envy. Then he speaks about his cross. Then he stops for two blind men on the side of the road. The kingdom does not run on comparison. It runs on mercy. The workers calculate. The disciples negotiate. The blind men cry out. And the King stops. You do not need to fight for first place in a kingdom bui...

Jesus refuses to be managed. In Matthew 19, the Pharisees test him, the rich man seeks leverage, and even the disciples misunderstand greatness. The chapter tightens toward a single conclusion: with man this is impossible — but with God all things are possible. This sermon traces the collapse of self-made righteousness and the quiet power of receiving the kingdom like a child. Not difficulty. Impo...

Malachi ends not with sentiment, but with a day. A day that burns arrogance to ash and rises as healing light for those who feared the Lord. In this final sermon, we see how waiting saints were not naïve, not mistaken, not forgotten — only early. The same day that consumes evil restores the faithful. The same God who judges brings healing. This is not about earning reward. It is about God acting —...

Malachi’s people ask a dangerous question: “Where is the God of justice?” God answers — not with an argument, but with an arrival. If the holy God really comes near, who can endure it? Who can stand? In Malachi 3, judgment is not withdrawn, but neither are God’s people consumed. Mercy comes first. Refinement follows. And hope takes a surprising shape — not optimism, not escape, but faithfulness in...

Malachi 2 — Covenant Faithfulness Malachi 2 confronts covenant faithlessness at its roots: hollowed-out worship, broken promises at home, and distorted thinking about God’s justice. At the heart of the chapter is a single question God Himself asks: What was the one God seeking? This sermon traces the flow of the chapter, shows how faithlessness spreads, and locates the hope of covenant faithfulnes...

Malachi 1 opens with a shock: God accuses his people of despising him, not through open rebellion but through careless, compromised worship. This sermon traces how spiritual indifference grows when grace is forgotten, how religion continues while reverence drains away, and why God refuses to accept worship offered on our terms. Rather than calling for better performance, Malachi exposes the deeper...

We began  The Ten Commandments  at Newport Anglican while the rector was on holidays, and it was a privilege to be trusted to kick off the series. The first commandment sounds simple: “No other gods.” But it quickly becomes a hard question, because it isn’t just about statues — it’s about allegiance. Exodus 20 begins with grace (“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out…”) and then calls for ex...

This sermon was preached while providing "Sunday Supply" (relief) at Newport Anglican Church on 17/04/2016. In Mark 6, rejection isn’t a detour — it’s the road. Jesus is dismissed in Nazareth, the Twelve are sent out into a world that will often refuse them, and John the Baptist’s death shows what fearful power does when God’s kingdom threatens its grip. These scenes work like “half-time...

Titus 2:11-15

A preached sermon from 18 September 2016 at Mona Vale Anglican. Jonah isn’t a kid’s story here — it’s a mirror. This message looks at the three fears in the text: • the fear of Nineveh — cruelty so extreme it shaped Israel’s nightmares, • the fear of the sailors — terror that turns into worship, • the fear of Jonah — not of dying, but of God showing mercy to people he despised. A text that exposes...

Gentleness isn’t weakness, softness, or avoiding hard truths. In Galatians 5 it’s the surprising strength of a life carried by the Spirit — the steadiness that flows from belonging to Christ rather than performing for him. This talk presses into what gentleness really is: not how we get into the kingdom, not how we stay in the kingdom, but the Spirit-shaped character that grows because we already...

Psalm 90:12 isn’t a slogan or a mission statement. It’s a prayer — a plea for wisdom in a short life under a sovereign God. As the first episode of The 9012 Project, this talk sits where the project itself sits: in the tension between God’s eternity and our limits, between the work we do and the days we’re given. No launch hype, no grand announcements — just the psalm that steadies the whole thing...