Trinity Church Victor Harbor

Friendships along the grain Wise neighbours: kind shrewd truthful merciful Wise friends: fragile careful faithful honest The best of friends What a friend we have in Jesus!

Speaking with the grain Speaking in Proverbs: The power of words The limits of words The complexity of words Words that give life The Word who gives life Speaking with the grain of the gospel

Nailed it! Life with the grain: Introducing the book of Proverbs    ‘The proverbs of Solomon…’: Listening to God’s wise King (v. 1)  ‘For gaining wisdom’: Skilful living under the grace of God (v. 2-6)  ‘The beginning’: The fear of the Lord (v. 7) Living today with the grain of the universe

Plastic surgery prayers? A model of prayer: Experience and knowledge – v1-10 A simple request – v11-21 Remarkable confidence - v22-31 The model fulfilled: Matthew 27:27-46

Christmas is about...? Psalm 98 and the hope of Christmas: Christmas is about salvation Christmas is about love Christmas is about joy Joy to the world this Christmas

Awe in a dull age… The awesome God of Psalm 97: The Lord reigns! (v. 1-6) The awesome God of Psalm 97: Exalted far above all gods (v. 7-9) The holy joy of those who love this God (v. 10-12) Having an awe-filled Christmas this year

Come, let us sing! (Psalm 95:1-5) Come, let us worship! (Psalm 95:6-7a) Hearing the good shepherd today (Psalm 95:7b-11)

30 sleeps…! Psalm 102 and the longing of Christmas: “I am in distress…” (v. 1-11) “But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever” (v. 12-17) “Let this be written for a future generation” (v. 18-28) Lamenting in hope, hoping in lament this Christmas

Praying big little prayers… This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ ‘Forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors’ ‘Lead us not into temptation’ ‘Deliver us from the evil one’ For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever.

Prayer and the danger of familiarity… How not to pray “This, then is how you should pray”… Our Father in heaven hallowed by your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven “Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise…”

Prayer and the restless search for perfection Perfection in prayer: The Father loves to hear his children The Son makes every prayer pleasing to God The Spirit helps us as we pray God’s precious gift: Praying to the Father, in the Son, by the Holy Spirit

Why not pray? The journey into cynicism: “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3) The progress of cynicism: Worthless idols, broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2) An age of cynicism: Praying in the 21st century Learning to trust again

A touchy subject? Our approach: Prayer in the big picture Beloved dust: Created to live with God (Genesis 1:26-2:7) All things new: Redeemed to live with God (Revelation 21:1-22:5) Prayer in the push and pull: Glorifying God, enjoying him forever

The key to the Psalms: “what God is like, not what we should do” • so we avoid moralism (we’re not OT Jews; only God is exemplary - He’s the main character in the Bible) • so we see how Jesus is the fullest revelation of what God is like • so we have the confidence to read the Psalms for ourselves! 1. What Ps 131 says about God 2. How Ps 131 points us to Jesus Mt 11:27 - “All things have been comm...

The God-enabled response that brings all of someone to respond to Him. What is Worship? • A rebellious people ransomed • Rebellion despite ransom • A faithful God Our Lives as Worship • Now • Romans 12:1-3 • Because of Eternity • Revalation 22:1-5 Our Golden Calves

Signs and wonders today? 1. An Amazing Miracle  A sign 2. What does the sign point to?  The significance of the Ark of the Lord A Sign for us?  Miracles today? Matthew 12:38ff  Preaching the sign today?  Experiencing God today?

Not what you would expect…  After chapter 1  Spies from Shittim   Numbers 13 and 25 1.An Unusual hero (v2-7) 2.What do we learn from Rahab?  Unexpected grace  God can use anyone   Matthew 1:5   1 Corinthians 1:26  The God who judges  The nature of faith   James 2:24-25

Not exactly earth shattering news The crisis Deuteronomy 34:10 Written for people like us – who face an uncertain future 1. How to Face the future with confidence - A positive attitude? - Joshua 1:2-5 - What has God promised us? 2. Taking hold of the Promises of God - Strong and courageous – Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18. Facing the future with confidence

Joy of the Redeemed The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 s...

Making preparations Glory is coming… but Jesus is going (13:31-33) Life after Jesus = a life of witnessing love (13:34-35) = not self belief … (13:36-38) = … but hope-filled belief in God (14:1-4) = life with Jesus! (15:4-7) Life after Jesus in the Year of our Lord

Et tu, Brute? Surprising sovereignty (v. 18-20) Distress and confusion (v. 21-26) Betrayal (v. 27-30) “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.”

Joe Louis. Boxer. Transition: the stage is set (v. 1) Scandal: the all-powerful slave (v. 2-5) Confusion: Peter blurts out what everyone’s thinking (v. 6-11) Model: following the master (v. 12-17) Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Darkness and light Jesus, the unbelievable arm of the Lord (v. 37-43) Jesus, the radiance of the Father (v. 44-46) Jesus, the speaker of salvation (v. 47-50) “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

God is holy. "Who will go for us?"."Here am I, send me.". The loving kindness of God. "As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, since it is written" You shall be holy, for I am holy".

Psalm 23 could be summarised under 6 “P’s” 1. Profess. “The LORD is my Shepherd.” 2. Provide. “I shall not want” 3. Pilot. “He leads me in paths of righteousness…” 4. Protect. “...I fear no evil for you are with me…" 5. Prepare. “you prepare a table before me…” 6. Promise. “and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”