The Whitehouse Church Podcast

Today's podcast is a little different as it is a guided time of reflective meditation on Matthew 6:25-34. The format of the reflection is based on a monastic practice known as 'Lectio Divina'. It is not meant to be a study method, rather it is a contemplative practice of reflection and prayer to encourage meeting with the Lord. The goal is not to rigidly follow the steps, the goal is to meet with...

Today, CJ was our guest speaker! I'm positive you will be blessed by this challenging message just as we were. "When God chose to become incarnate, it wasn't as Caesar, or Pharaoh, or someone who would lord it over others just like every other ruler. No, God came to earth as a brown-skinned child in the poorest and most disenfranchised corner of a small North African nation living under the oppres...

Loving our neighbour means more than acknowledging the struggle of others. It means engaging in their struggle with compassion and without judgement. In John 8 we see how Jesus engaged in the struggle experienced by a woman who was being publicly accused by the Pharisees, and he used his privileged status to defend her. He engaged in the physical and social struggles of lepers and outcasts. And ul...

We must stand against the corrupt systems and institutional powers that promise freedom but really only bring destruction. We must not shirk in the face of perverse authorities that want to maintain the status quo. And we must not be drawn into anger and violence, but rather we need to act out of grief and love for those who are oppressed, compassion for those who are complicit, and hope in the kn...

Jesus was not simply a theologian. He was an activist who fought against the systemic oppression within his Jewish culture that afflicted the underprivileged and the outsiders. He stood with the poor and the outcasts. He raised the status of women and children who were socially unseen, and he consistently refused to racially denigrate foreigners like the Samaritans and Romans. The good news of the...

The proclamation of the gospel isn’t a soapbox on a corner shouting at  people about the end of the world. The proclamation of the gospel is  having lunch with prostitutes and tax collectors. It is throwing parties  and inviting everyone off the street. It is the multiplication of food  and the sharing of resources. It is a communal life of generosity,  compassion, kindnes...

In this message Geoff discusses how even though the majority of us do not have any significant connection to Aboriginal peoples we can at least acknowledge the shocking truth of our history as a starting point. And then we need to agree to seek Reconciliation and friendship rather than simply blaming Aboriginal people or covering our eyes, ears and hearts to the injustices that have been done and...

To a world that was in upheaval, in a time of wars and rumours of wars, in a period of deep uncertainty and political jostling when people were desperately seeking a saviour they looked to a dishevelled man wearing clothes made of camel hair, who lived in the wilderness eating locusts and honey. And he said to them:  “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, th...

My experience as a child and as an adult has been blessed because I have  always known that my mum loves me. To believe otherwise has never even  occurred to me. She has always loved me, and there is nothing that I  could do that would stop her from loving me. She bore me in her womb and  fed me at her breast. She carried me in her arms, and in her heart and  prayers. She...

If your church experience has been more charismatic or Pentecostal, you have likely felt the presence of God through communal worship. I know for myself that singing praises as a community has been a central part of my connection with God since forever. Which is awesome… except for when we are not allowed to gather together. Once all the performance and props are taken away how do we personally co...

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬

During this storm we can bring hope to our communities by offering kindness, peace and love. We need to become experts in the simple acts of generosity, compassion, and empathy. We need to be available to listen to the needs of our neighbours. And we can be gentle with our children, partners, housemates, and with ourselves. We need to be kind to ourselves.

Now, probably more than ever we need to be good listeners. We are not in a position to comfort one another with a hug over a video chat, but we can offer an ear in this time of uncertainty. Getting better at listening is a great way to love the people around you.

Jesus was willing to feed people and heal people on the Sabbath because he was driven by Godly principles that released life and he was not bound by the rules that wouldn’t facilitate this. But the Pharisees had it all back to front. They would rather get to temple on time than stoop to help a man bleeding in the gutter. They happily tithed on their herb garden but neglected justice and mercy. The...

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” If there is any confusion about whose opinion, tradition or practice is most valid it should be clear here that Jesus supersedes everything that came before him. “Listen to him!” The law and prophets testified about Jesus, but the disciples must take their lessons directly from Jesus.

Jesus wouldn’t be tricked into a kingdom without a king, or a kingdom built on the blood of his enemies, or a kingdom of subservient robots. As you journey towards Easter consider setting aside luxuries and time to remember how Christ resisted the accuser and his good ideas. How he chose to take upon the foolishness, scorn and shame of the cross to show God’s mercy and forgiveness and to establish...

Against the backdrop of God’s love your sin is inconsequential. That doesn’t mean we should sin more; it means that we work out our salvation daily in the context of loving relationships and not shame. It means that we are stewards of God’s grace. We have gifts from a loving God to share with one another. And it means that we do it together. In this kingdom we are heirs together, we are never alon...

There are so many ‘us and them’ narratives in our culture at the moment. Politically, socially, economically, sexually, educationally, nationally, racially, demographically... Inside our fallen nature is a desperate need to belong and feel safe and we so easily get deceived into believing the best way to belong and feel safe is to exclude or alienate someone else. This woman is guilty. And the Pha...

When we celebrate together we say, ‘your victory is my joy’, and in times of trouble we say, ‘your concern is my burden, and together we will get through this.’ Marriage is a commitment like this. For better and for worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health. In a family we are born into this commitment. And in Christ’s body, we lay down our lives for the purpose of the King and his k...

“We are not what we do, we are not what we have, we are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth. I am the beloved child of a loving creator.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen

The Good Samaritan, and the sheep and the goats, are stories about kindness. Kindness isn’t just a fruit of the Spirit; it is fundamental to the work of the gospel and the Great Commission. Kindness is good doctrine. Kindness is a beautiful foretaste of God’s kingdom.

The growth of the early church was not due to famous people, it was because normal people were radically altered by their relationship with Jesus in a way that made them prepared to love, and sacrifice for others. It wasn’t just the way the church reacted to persecution that made them unusual, it was the consistent loving actions of Christians for hundreds of years that truly changed the world.

What a twist, the king invites everyone to the party! Good and bad! This is definitely not how a royal wedding reception works. Here is the punchline – God desires that all people would respond to his invitation into the kingdom of heaven. This is what our gatherings should reflect. We should invite all those that have bounced off the church and those that aren’t normally invited. We should open u...

“Listening is an act of intimacy and when you choose to listen to someone you are giving them a gift.” Also make sure you check out this video from Brené Brown as an introduction to this message: The Biggest Myth About Vulnerability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkDaKKkFi6Y

The Son of Man was tempted to serve the beast just like every other human before him, but he resisted. The Son of Man came among us and built a new kingdom that was not corrupt or violent. And in his kingdom the beast is expelled. Sickness, disease, poverty, violence… none of these things exist in the Son of Man’s kingdom. The beast is defeated and thrown into the fire and the Son of Man is given...