The Centre Dural Podcast

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  Mitch & Murray chat about the theology 1st century Jews held around the temple, the importance of empathy when reading about the Pharisees, and the role self-reflection and humiliation have in humility. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and onl...

Luke 18:9-14 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a t...

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  What does it look like to pray persistently? What does it look like to pray faithfully?  How do historical insights into widows and judges in 1st century Middle East enrich this parable?  All these answers and more will are answered in the latest episode of BANTER To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org...

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly." (Luke 18:7-8) To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural  

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  Mitch and Murray share around where The Centre is heading in 2025 as they reflect on this year's vision word of "Prepared". Free e-book for Ancient Disciple Making https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ancient/   To watch back our 2025 Vision Sunday Service visit https://www.youtube.com/live/eC6USFu-AQA   To find out more about T...

Drew is currently completing his final year of study at The Conservatorium of Music in Sydney and has been involved in worship bands for many years.  He looks to biblical precedents, music history, and his personal experience to help answer the question "What is God's purpose for music?" To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in pers...

This week's episode delves into the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6 and examines three main perspectives on their identity. Exploring passages from the New Testament and Jewish writings to unpack how our understanding of the Nephilim relates to the message of Jesus and his mission to rescue us from our sin. 

How is Christianity NOT a Cult?  It's a question many have asked and yet many Christians don't have a good answer. Murray presents 3 ways that Christianity isn't a cult.  He also opens it up to the congregation to share their own thoughts, because after all, allowing independent thought in a strong basis for Christianity NOT being a Cult. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural...

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10) To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in per...

14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the gar...

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32)  To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We me...

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary a...

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon. Over the summer holidays, Mitch sits down to explore the origin of Satan. In Part 2 Mitch explores the meaning of the name "Satan" and highlights Bible passages that further explore the idea of "The Satan" within Job, Zachariah, Ezekiel. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am...

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  Over the summer holidays, Mitch sits down to explore the origin of Satan. In Part 1 Mitch explores the historical background of Satan and the Ancient Near Eastern view of Satan. He also explores the context around the "Morning Star" in Isaiah 14. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We mee...

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  Mitch and Murray chat about how we are to understand prophetic fulfilment in the gospels, the context of the child Immanuel in Isaiah's time and the ways in which we synthesise The Septuagint or "LXX" with our understanding of scripture. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am...

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. (Isaiah 7:14-15) To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person and online at; www.youtube.com/@centredural...

Throughout Jesus' Sermon on the Mount of Olives his teaching could be summarised by a single sentence - "Be ready for my return!"  So are you ready for Jesus' return? And if not how can you be?  Murray explores how each of us can ensure that we are ready for the day of Jesus' return. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.thecentredural.org.au/church/ We meet at 10am every Sunday in person a...

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  Murray's back from paternity leave and ready to jump into a conversation with Mitch around the genealogies of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.  The lads chat about lunar cycles, the Hebrew number puzzles of gematria, and what's top of their Christmas wish lists this year. To find out more about The Centre visit; www.t...

"It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade." (Mark 4:31-32)  The Parable of the Mustard Seed speaks about God's kingdom working powerfully through small things that fruit in ways that we do not expect.  To find out more about The Centre...

This week, Mitch discusses the Parable of the Mustard Seed and how it illustrates the unique birth of our Lord. In the Old Testament, empires were often compared to the mighty Cedar of Lebanon, but in this parable, the kingdom is represented not by a cedar but by a mustard bush—a plant known for its invasive growth and difficulty to control. The humble mustard bush symbolises the upside-down value...

In this week's episode, Mitch spends some time reflecting on 2024 and talks through some of the behind-the-scenes work of Celebration Sunday and the personal impact of St Ignatius's teaching on gratitude, along with Psalm 104, which celebrates God's good gifts in creation. He also gives a sneak peek of what to expect in 2025 at The Centre.

Mitch, rocking the podcast solo, unpacks the context of the Parable of Talents from Matthew 25. He discusses the historical background of the parable and its relevance to Christ's return, emphasizing our roles as stewards of the gifts God has entrusted us. Mitch offers some practical insights on living faithfully and making the most of our talents while we await the Master's return.  To find out m...

What does the parable of Lazarus & The Rich Man tell us about Heaven & Hell? Was it even a parable, or is it Jesus retelling an actual event?  Is Jesus riffing off imagery from the Book of Enoch?  The boys sit down to chat around these questions and explore how the primary point of this parable is actually all about social justice and not an eschatalogical vision of end times. To find out...

But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. (Luke 16:25-26) To find out more about The Centre...

Welcome to BANTER; the weekly podcast where we unpack Sunday's sermon.  Mitch & Murray reflect on what is revealed by reading the Parable of the Lost Son within the wider context of Jesus' three "Lost" Parables in Luke 15, the ways in which church can be guilty of adopting the posture of the Older Brother character towards those who have left the faith, and how we can avoid falling into traps...