Wishart Community Church

Psalm 15 is one of the shortest psalms, but it packs a punch as it asks the daunting question, ‘Who is worthy?’  Who is righteous enough to dwell in God’s presence? Who has the right, by the way they live, to be accepted with God? Our response might be that we long to be that kind of person and we pray that God’s empowering grace to help us. But the psalm doesn’t end with that. Instead, it points...

Preacher: Jim de Witte  Passage: Psalm 14  Support the show

In Psalm 13 there is a recurring question, “How long?” David wants to be delivered. He thought God had forgotten him and more. David faith is tested as he feels abandoned by God and so doubts his goodness. Can anything be worse than that? Maybe you have experienced the same painful feeling of being abandoned by God. Yet this kind of fear and doubt is not the opposite of faith as we are sometimes t...

It seems strange to have this song of John as the last in our Christmas series of songs of Jesus. We don’t often include John the Baptist in our Christmas celebrations. Maybe that’s on purpose because he is a very upsetting figure in dress and in words. Yet, before we get to the ministry of Jesus, we meet John. In Luke’s account, the birth of Jesus is book-ended by John with his birth and his mini...

Preacher: Jim de Witte  Passages: Luke 2:1-21 & Matthew 2:1-12  Support the show

Christmas and peace. How do those two words fit together in your mind? For some, peace at Christmas means getting together with and tolerating family members you dislike. For others, peace is only possible after Christmas, when the pace of everything slows down for the summer break. This week we look at the angels’ song in Luke 2 and the peace that they sing about. This peace is not the end of mil...

Zechariah has spent nine months in total silence turning his thoughts over and over in his mind till they have blended into this amazing song. And what do the words teach us? That God has come to his people and redeemed them, just as he promised. That we are set free to worship him through forgiveness and for illumination. It is a song of exhortation to praise God, God who has stooped from heaven...

Can you imagine Christmas without Christmas carols? Christmas carols are one of the things that make Christmas, Christmas. Songs praising the Saviour’s birth have always been a part of this celebration. Some songs were sung before the Saviour was even born, proclaiming his birth. Songs that proclaim a very special event, God taking on human flesh. Luke records songs from Mary, Zechariah, Simeon an...

Preacher: Dylan Patruica  Passage: 1 Peter 1:13-2:3  Support the show

We can’t share the good news of the gospel and leave Jesus dead.  His death is certainly important, because through it we receive forgiveness.  But there is so much more, with the resurrection also central to our faith. The Heidelberg Catechism asks the question: How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us? The summary of their answer is that by Jesus’ resurrection he has overcome death, we now expe...

Why did God send Jesus, his one and only Son to live as a man? Have you ever asked yourself this question? When we truly begin to grasp the significance of our sin against God, it is natural to wonder what could possibly motivate God to send his Son Jesus. Yet, God loves the world he created, and he loves us, so he didn’t leave us to suffer the consequences of our rebellion. He sent his own Son in...

When Jesus returns, every knee will bow and tongue confess him as lord as he rules with love, justice, and wisdom. As we wait for that day however, we journey together and persevere by his grace. Paul writes Philippians from his prison cell to encourage the church. As we prepare and are prepared for that great day, Paul reminds us that Jesus will complete the work he began in us. Together, we look...

Last Sunday we saw that our sin has ruined the world that God gave us to rule.  And what’s even more, our rebellion against God makes us deserving of His righteous judgment. We don’t like this idea of God’s judgment, do we?  Many argue that God’s love should stop Him from judging those He loves. The wrath of God is difficult to grasp. This is especially so when each of us are in rebellion against...

Last week we were introduced to God as the good ruler and creator of a good world. We were placed in that good creation to take care of it. So, have you ever wondered why so many things in this life are relentlessly so difficult, so painful, and so frustrating? Why so many things are so far from what they should be? As you look at the world around you, do you ask yourself where it all went so wron...

Pastor: Jim De Witte  Passage: Genesis 1:1-2:3  Over the next 6 weeks we are going to look at some key points of the Gospel, based around the ‘Two Ways to Live’ tract. And we start with who God is. Why? The basis of the whole gospel is that God is the ruler of the world. He rules because he made the world. He also made us. God created people who were something like himself and put them in charge o...

Pastor: Jim De Witte  Passage: Psalm 19  Support the show

Christian contentment has been referred to as a ‘rare jewel’. It would be nice to always be content in life, whatever our circumstances. But so often we feel discontent, unsettled, and even envious of others who seem to have more. 1 Timothy chapter 6 teaches us some great lessons about contentment. If we heed the lessons of this chapter we’ll see that true contentment really is possible, and the s...

Passage: Genesis 46:1-7, Genesis 46:26-47:31  Preacher: Jono Deenick    Support the show

Passage: Matthew 18:21-35  Preacher: Juhan Klooster  Support the show

This Sunday we have Murray Capill bring us God’s Word from Matthew 16:18. Murray led the sessions at our Elder Training Conference yesterday and has stayed on to be with us in worship today. Murray is the Dean of Ministry Development and Lecturer in Pastoral Ministry at the Reformed Theological College in Melbourne. We thank Murray in advance for the message he will bring. Preacher: Murray Capill ...

In Joshua 24:14-18, Joshua gives the most famous of all that he ever spoke.   “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” With a baptism and a family being brought into church membership this Sunday, it is good to affirm this truth. It is a promise to do the best we can to make sure that everything that takes place inside the home ho...

Today we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of Wishart Community Church. This celebration is a way to give thanks to God for His faithfulness. As we look back on the past, we are reminded of the many ways that God has blessed our church. We are grateful for our members, our pastors and members, and the countless opportunities that we have had to serve our community. We also remember our heritage...

Luke had just given a marvellous description of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Antioch. The church was growing by leaps and bounds (Acts 11:21). Everything was going well. Reading that, what happens here in chapter 12 is shocking and unexpected. One of God’s chosen apostles is brutally killed and another is arrested and awaiting execution. From the chapter we learn lessons important for us a...

There are lots of times when we’re fearful to go somewhere or do something. Some people are particularly intimidating and we avoid them or have to work up our courage to speak to them. This week we see the fear of Joseph’s brothers coming before a great and scary power – and we’re taught a lesson about how God deals with us – with mercy!  Preacher: Phil Popping  Passage: Genesis 43  Support the sh...

Today’s passage sends the church further north to Antioch where the church grows and expands and followers of Jesus are first called Christians. This church will keep popping up in Acts as a major launch pad for the missionary movements of Paul. But the church begins because of the persecution that originated from Stephen’s stoning back in Acts 8. People from the island of Cyprus and all the way f...