Toongabbie Anglican Church Audio Podcast

Knowing who Jesus is and following Him changes not just our lives and eternity but the whole world! In chapter 10 Jesus sends out 72 to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom.

We begin our new series in Luke: “journey to the cross” by looking at the central question of the gospels: “who is Jesus”. The answer turns everything upside down; for Jesus came to serve and die and calls us to take up our cross and deny ourselves to find life.

The "character of the king" series from the Psalms finishes this Sunday with all of creation and humanity praising God for the marvellous things he has done - especially salvation.

Psalm 97 lifts our eyes and hearts to rejoice in the reign, righteousness, and justice of the Lord.

We need a king that cares about justice.

The Lord is mighty!

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." This lesson is all about the certain hope of the promised forever king. Knowing that Christ has come, and knowing his perfection, gives us hope in the darkness of this world.

David’s kingship points to a greater forever king and kingdom that we now have access to by grace!

In the wild story of Saul pursuing David we see in David an (imperfect) example of courageous faith; a righteousness under fire. This passages encourages us to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, as we struggle through various pressures, longing for justice and grace.

1 Samuel 18 on the surface sets up another classic dichotomy between Saul and David as David's influence increases while Saul's decreases. However, underlying this is an outward sign of their relationship with the Lord. What this highlights for us is our need to fix our gaze on Him like David, to fix our eyes on His chosen King like Jonathan, and to turn our hearts away from comparisons like Saul.

With David chosen as God’s king, we see how God will work through him as Israel confronts one of their greatest fears - the Philistines. While Saul was unable to overcome them, this passage reminds us that the battle belongs to the Lord, who is our strength.

In recent times we’ve had the King and Queen visit us and we have also had the elections in the USA. We note that leaders and leadership matters. Today we return to the book of 1 Samuel (some 3,000 years ago), where we will see what God will do after the King they chose has been rejected.

Ephesians 4 is the celebration of unity we have in God expressed in a diversity of gifts used to serve one another as we together mature in faith.

We are the demonstration of God's wisdom and saving grace!! The church is the new humanity forged in God's saving grace. As Paul zooms out to help us see God's big plan He sees his purpose so clearly to hold out this grace to the world. 

We are a new humanity in Christ who has given us peace with God and with each other. He has torn down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles and therefore let us be attentive to ways that we inadvertently create new walls that divide so that the peace of Jesus will extend to others. 

This week we kick off vision month and it’s theme of “God is at work” celebrating God’s grace and that we are his handiwork.

As followers of Jesus, we are free. Which means we are free to adapt our behaviour to serve those we're trying to reach, so that they may be saved. Just as Jesus humbled himself and became like us so that we could be saved.

Stand firm in the power of the resurrection, the proof of the resurrection and the grace of the resurrection.

Romans 5 steps into the implications of Justification by Faith. Because we are justified, we have peace with God. This peace is filled with hope as God fills us with the love of Christ.

It has ALWAYS been salvation by faith!

Righteousness is given through faith in Jesus! This demonstrates GOD’S righteousness, as he both shows his justice in punishing sin, and beautiful mercy in offering the means of justification to us poor sinners!

No one can meet God's standard, and we deserve his righteous judgment. But God is faithful to his promises, and he gives righteousness to all who believe in Jesus.