Urban Vineyard

Jonathan concludes (for now) our series on the kingdom parables by looking at the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). In what, on the surface, appears to be a story about earning our way to God's good graces, Jonathan shows that life in the kingdom is about entering into a cycle of generosity with the God who desires to give gifts to us and through us.

We are in a series exploring Jesus' parables of the kingdom. In this sermon, Lloyd unpacks the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) showing how it perhaps ought to be called "the parable of the generous landowner." Lloyd reminds us that whether we 'raise the dead or take a nap, the pay is the same' and that the reward of following Jesus is worth everyth...

Jonathan continues our series on Jesus' teaching on the kingdom by looking at the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35).

Anne continues our series exploring Jesus' parables by looking at a story, a parable and a memorable saying of Jesus, all of which speak to the dynamic of how we enter into the kingdom of God, not by wallowing in shame, but by recognising the goodness of the one to whom we return.

Jonathan continues our series on the Parables of the Kingdom looking at four parables in (from Matthew 13:1-35) about things that grow in the dark in ways we can't control or understand. In doing so, he reminds us that God's work of establishing the kingdom in this world and in our heart is in His hands – all He asks us to do is to live a life of deep trust in His faithfulness.

Pete continues our series on the parables of the kingdom, looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan and inviting us to consider the surprising and subversive ways God's mercy shows up where we least expect it, and to respond in kind.

Jonathan begins the new year by preaching a sermon on the parables of the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price. He encourages us to consider the phrase "if the kingdom of God is worth anything, it's worth everything."

Jonathan begins the new year by preaching a sermon on the parables of the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price. He encourages us to consider the phrase "if the kingdom of God is worth anything, it's worth everything."

In our final sermon in this 2024 Advent series, James Hennings reflects on the role of shepherds in the story of God's salvation plan. In doing so, he shows that God has always chosen to reveal himself to 'the least, the last, the lowly' and he reflects on what this says about the way God wants to meet with us in our own lowliness too.

Jonathan continues our advent series by reflecting on the way the Star of Bethlehem functions as a symbol of that which brings us to the edge of our control. He looks at how Herod and the magi's divergent responses to the star represent the choice we face in our own discipleship to Jesus.

This year we are exploring advent through various "eye-witness" accounts of Jesus' first arrival. In the first sermon of this series, Anne offers both a playful and deeply thoughtful reflection on what the angels might have experienced as they witnessed the unfolding action of God's saving mission. Using characters of Tolkien's Middle Earth (as a way of making the familiar...

Peter brings our series to a conclusion showing how Luke presents Jesus as the one who is "made known in the breaking of bread." In this way, Pete (following St Luke) shows how our meals, and all the ordinary moments of our lives, have the capacity to become sites where we are welcomed into the home of God.

We are in the middle of a series exploring how Jesus' meals in the Gospel of Luke reveal God's work of making the world into His home. In this sermon, Lloyd offers a deep reflection on the significance of the meal which Jesus instituted the night before he was crucified (Luke 22:7-30). Every meal we eat can (if we are paying attention) be an opportunity to anticipate and even experience...

We are in the middle of series exploring how Jesus' meals in the Gospel of Luke reveal God's work of making the world his home. In this sermon, Victoria Rankin shares how Jesus used the table as a place to welcome outsiders into God's home. She gently challenged us to consider how hospitality, when grounded in it's proper context of Biblical theology, can be a life-changing min...

“Behold, the home of God is now among humans!” (Revelation 21:3)The New Testament reaches its crescendo with this startling declaration: God’s home is arriving among us. At the final consummation of history, as death itself is destroyed and all “mourning and crying and pain” pass away, we find, perhaps to our surprise, the image of a home, a residence,...

In this final sermon in our series on the ten words, Anne presents a compelling and convincing interpretation of the prohibition against bearing false witness against our neighbour. Anne shows that the commandment is more than a prohibition against slander, but instead, is an invitation into a life of truth-seeking and truth speaking that builds up our neighbour and brings us deeper into God'...

James continues our sermon series on the Ten Commandments, looking at the prohibition against coveting. He uses stories from the Hebrew Bible to show how damaging coveting has been when it has taken hold amongst God's people, and he shows how the early church was characterised as a joyful 'anti-coveting' community of abundance, because of how Christ made them truly rich.

Jonathan continues our series on God's ten 'words' spoken at Sinai by looking at the seventh which prohibits adultery. He makes the point that the temptation to adultery affects us all because it is connected to a very good and human desire for true vulnerability and embrace. Our God-given sexual desire points to our need for vulnerability and embrace, but it also necessitates some...

Carrying on in our series on God's Ten Words at Sinai, Pete shows how the Biblical prohibition against stealing goes far beyond our modern ideas of private property rights. He shows how theft in the Old Testament also included participation in unjust economic systems which disposed some to enrich others. In this way, Pete challenged us to see where we too might need to be set free from patter...

In a continuation of our series on the Ten Words spoken at Sinai, Lloyd addresses the sixth commandment prohibiting murder. He makes the point that despite feeling like a particularly extreme act which not many of us could ever fathom ourselves committing, to kill is actually the outcome of a much longer chain of events which begins with dehumanising our neighbour in our hearts. Referencing Jesus&...

Sarah shares on the profound reality that God is Lord of all time and that his commandment to "remember the Sabbath" is a call to proleptically enact the future age of salvation and freedom which has been secured for us in Jesus. She uses the metaphor of Sabbath as a lamp which we light every seven days as a reminder that the true dawn is coming. For now, we gather around the light of th...

On Father's Day and the first day of the Season of Creation, Jonathan teaches on what it means to honour parents.

Pete shares on the third 'word' from Exodus 20 – "You shall not make wrongful use of the of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name." He shows how this is perhaps the most misunderstood of all the commandments and therefore, perhaps the most important for us to recover. In the end, we learn that the commandment is not about being fastidiously...

Lloyd carries on our series on the Ten Words, looking at the second commandments which prohibits the making of images to substitute God. He makes the point that just as the first commandment pertains to not worshipping false gods, the second commandment pertains to not worshipping God falsely. It turns out to be very easy to twist our image of God by 'creating' Him in our own image (cont...