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Willetton Christian ChurchA Sense of the DivineThe Philistines have been ravaged by God. They captured the ark of Yhwh’s covenant, thinking that they have won the victory over him. However, as we saw in the previous chapter, God showed that he has supremacy over all other gods. The Philistines now realized this and wanted to get rid of the ark by sending it back to the Israelites.
Even though they do not worship nor know the God of Israel, they knew what they were going through was the result of his judgement on them. They tried to satisfy his wrath and judgement by including golden tu...2025-07-0636 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe King We WantIn 1 Samuel 8-12, Israel wants a king—a visible leader, like all the nations around them. But in doing so, they reject the God who gave them everything. And what they receive is Saul: impressive on the outside but hollow within. Yet even in their failure, God remained faithful. He sent thunder not to destroy, but to wake them up, to bring them home.2025-06-2234 minWilletton Christian ChurchAbraham: The Covenant of GraceThe covenants God makes with his people (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus) help us make sense of the storyline of the Bible as a whole. God makes special promises to be our God, and we, God’s people, his people commit ourselves to the conditions of the covenant: to live as God’s people. But how do we hold on to God’s promises when we don’t see any evidence that God is going to fulfil what he’s promised? And if we know in advance that we’re going to fail to live up to the conditions...2025-06-0835 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Supremacy of GodThe ark of the covenant has been captured by the Philistines. In the eyes of the world, this means that Yhwh is weak and was therefore defeated by the Philistine god. The ark was carried and placed in Dagon’s temple, next to Dagon. It was meant to be a sign of Dagon’s trophy, having bested Yhwh. The people of Israel should despair because their God has been humiliated and defeated. Or has he?
No! In fact, it was Dagon that ended up prostrating before Yhwh. What’s more, Yhwh brought devastation on the people of Ashdod (one of the ci...2025-06-0136 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Divine Vending Machine?Do we unknowingly treat God as a vending machine – that if we fulfil certain conditions and then God will be certain to give us some form of blessing? Do we think that if we only pray hard enough, serve long enough, be devoted enough, evangelise enough, that God should (maybe even be obligated to!) answer our prayers and requests to him?
That was how the Israelites were treating God in the first half of 1 Samuel 4. They were in a battle against the Philistines (and it won’t be the last time). They were losing the battle and decided to bring the...2025-05-2537 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod's Grace Admidst the Rot WithinIn our passage this weekend, we are given a picture of the rot at the centre of Israel’s priesthood. “Eli’s sons were scoundrels.” Even though they were supposed to be priests of God, they had no regard for God at all. They took advantage of the sacrifices that people brought for God and used their position to sleep with women who served at the temple. They were supposed to be priests – mediators between God and mankind and teachers of God’s laws to God’s people. However, what they are doing is a complete mockery of who they were supposed...2025-05-1144 minWilletton Christian ChurchHannah's PrayerHannah’s prayer is surprising to many of us. Remember that she has struggled for many years on her lack of a son and being provoked about it by Peninnah. However, God answered her prayer by giving her a son, and so she responds to God in her prayer.
However, in her prayer, it is remarkable that the focus is not on herself, nor the son that God gave her, nor even her own situation. It is a remarkably God-centred prayer from Hannah. She begins her prayer by rejoicing in God for his deliverance. Then she very quickly moves on to...2025-05-0438 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod Hears and CaresThere are times when God seems silent. There are times when we feel like God does not care. However, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, God knows and God cares. Hannah found herself in such a situation. She was not able to bear a child for her husband, Elkanah, while his other wife Penninah had children. Year after year, she was taunted by Penninah about her childlessness. One year, she cried out to God in anguish, weeping bitterly.
In an unsurprising turn of event, she did bear a child eventually. Her vow was to dedicate whatever child God...2025-04-2741 minWilletton Christian ChurchBiblical Leadership: Look for the ShepherdMany people today believe that there is a crisis of leadership in our world. The reality is that often leaders are not trusted by those they are called to lead. The image of biblical leadership is most often portrayed as shepherding leadership. It is the exercise of leadership that leads by example and leads in a sacrificial manner. The Apostle Peter writing to the elders of the church states, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them…not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3).2025-04-0636 minWilletton Christian ChurchWe Serve & GiveOne of the regular rhythms in our Christian lives should be our service to our brothers and sisters in Christ. That is the only appropriate and reasonable response in view of God’s amazing mercy to us in Christ. Therefore, it is important to remember that we are serving one another, not to be saved, but rather because we are saved in Christ.
We are one body in Christ, and so we should not think of ourselves more highly than others. Rather, we think of ourselves as part of the body of Christ, serving and encouraging one another. We have di...2025-03-3035 minWilletton Christian ChurchWe CelebrateMuch ink has been spilled over the topic of the Lord’s Supper during the Reformation than we think. Martin Luther, the German monk who started the Reformation, was famously willing to split the church over this issue. Just what it is about the Lord’s Supper that is so important? Isn’t it just mere “bread and wine”? There are two traps that we can fall into with regards to the Lord’s Supper – thinking that it is “magical” or a “mirage”. Some have thought it “magical” to the point where if we take the Lord’s Supper, we will receive God’s blessings...2025-03-2337 minWilletton Christian ChurchWe BaptiseBaptism is the sign and seal of the person into the covenant community of God. It shows that the person who is being baptised has now become part of the people of God in the same way that circumcision marks the child out as part of God’s people.
Just as how circumcision was a sign of God’s blessing and grace to those who are born into God’s covenant community, baptism is a sign of God’s grace and blessing as well. Whether it is an infant or an adult who has come to faith, baptism celebrates God’s grace an...2025-03-1640 minWilletton Christian ChurchWe BelongThe people of God has always been set apart from their surrounding nations. Ever since God gathered his people around him, he has called his people to be different, because he has rescued and redeemed them. The New Testament continues this pattern with Jesus Christ. We are gathered around Jesus, set apart for him because of the redemption that he purchased for us. The church is a people that God has rescued through Jesus Christ. We are saved into a people, therefore our faith has never been a merely private experience, but one that is lived together with others who...2025-03-0940 minWilletton Christian ChurchWe SingThere are endless opinions when it comes to the singing and music in our weekend services. That is not surprising as music and songs connect to us on a deeper and emotional level. It just “feels” so much more personal than a sermon. That is why it can elicit such strong opinions. However, when you think about it, as a society, we do not actually do a lot of singing together with others. There are hardly any events that we do that. The only exception is probably concerts or birthdays.
Christians, on the other hand, have been a singing people sinc...2025-02-2338 minWilletton Christian ChurchWe EncounterWe are starting our new sermon series this weekend on the Rhythms of Grace. Each Sunday as Christians, we gather at the church building. In that gathering, we have different elements of the service that we go through – we sing, we pray, we give, we serve, we listen to preaching, etc. Going through all that becomes a rhythm in our lives, like a constant beat for a piece of music. It keeps our Christian lives in sync and provides a pattern for the rest of our lives. However, if we do not re-examine why we do what we do weekly, we...2025-02-1639 minWilletton Christian ChurchUndeserved FavourThe account of David and Mephibosheth is a very small one in the Old Testament. However, it presents us with a beautiful picture of our abject sinfulness and the loving heart of God.
This Sunday, we will explore the character of Mephibosheth: both who he was and why he was so miserable. We will also take a closer look at David’s heart for Mephibosheth in comparison with God’s own heart for us. We will finish by unpacking the remarkable end to Mephibosheth’s story and discover how God’s undeserved favour can truly transform our hearts and minds.2025-01-1933 minWilletton Christian ChurchDelighting in God's WordPsalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. It is a psalm that is all about loving, celebrating, and delighting in the commands, laws, and word of God. Psalm 119 calls us to delight in God's word. It makes us wise as it teaches us about God's world and how it operates.
God's word also brings us joy and delight as it tells us about God's love and heart for us. It reveals to us our sins, so that we can run to Christ, through whom our sins are forgiven. Through God's word, we know a God who has loved us...2025-01-1237 minWilletton Christian ChurchListenGod is speaking continuously – both through his creation and in his word. Are we listening?
God is speaking through his creation. Since the beginning of creation, the whole creation is displaying God’s power and divine nature. We often leave marks of who we are in the things that we create, and it is the same with God and the whole creation. We see marks of who this Creator is by noticing and “listening” to creation. They speak of God’s immeasurable power and his unlimited creativity.
God is speaking through the word that he gave us. This is the only way t...2025-01-0540 minWilletton Christian ChurchSaving GraceAcross the centuries, we have different kinds of rulers, from tyrannical to the incompetent. Last week, we read about Matthew declaring that the promised awaited king has come. But what kind of king is he? We will be looking at Matthew 1:18-25 this weekend, and in that passage, we see two aspects of Jesus’ kingship.
This promised king will be our saviour. He has come to save “his people from their sins.” That is what a king is supposed to do – to protect, rescue, and care for his people. However, our deepest problem is our broken relationship with God, as a result...2024-12-0839 minWilletton Christian ChurchWhat we Need to Know to be Truly Comforted in Life and DeathIt is great to have the peace that passes understanding that, because we belong to Christ, we are comforted in life and death. That in belonging to Him, our sins are covered by His precious blood and all things must work for our good without a hair from our head falling apart from the will of our Father in Heaven. This is what we rejoiced in when last I preached in Willo. In Sunday’s service we focus on Q&A 2 which raises the question as to, what do we need to know in order to have this comfort. It is...2024-11-2432 minWilletton Christian ChurchTogether for the GospelIn Romans 16, we read of Paul’s greetings to all the people that have laboured in Gospel ministry. There is a camaraderie and personal touch in Christian ministry. Paul knew many of these people personally, and they laboured together in Gospel ministry. Christian ministry involves working together with others and it is not merely the effort of an “anointed” few.
One of the roles of being in Christian ministry is to watch out for those who would cause divisions within the church. These people are serving themselves, rather than God. They deceive us through smooth talk and flattery, and therefore it is...2024-11-1740 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Partnership of the GospelThe church is made up of a diverse group of people who have been accepted by God in Christ. Therefore, we should accept one another within the church of God. The relationships that we have built within the church have a greater impact on us and the watching world than we imagine. A united people from diverse backgrounds with strong and deep relationships is a rare breed in our world.
We are united in the Gospel of Christ with our mission to proclaim this Gospel to the nations. That was the heartbeat of Paul’s life, and therefore we can le...2024-11-1040 minWilletton Christian ChurchBelonging Together in God's KingdomChristians have many different opinions on different ways of being obedient to God. This is especially true on things that God himself has not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Paul mentioned a list of issues that the Jews and Gentiles would disagree about.
However, he insists that we all belong to the Lord and each of us will have to give an account to God, not to each other. Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on each other on these topics where we have freedom to practise in different ways. The kingdom of God is not about the “physical” things on e...2024-11-0342 minWilletton Christian ChurchSoli Deo GloriaAll glory is to be to God alone. The culmination of the first four “solas” of the Reformation is that glory belongs to God and God alone. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone through God’s sheer grace alone, promised to us in the Scriptures alone. All of that is only possible because of God’s initiative and work, both through the work of Christ and the work of the Spirit in us.
That is Paul’s conclusion at the end of Romans 11. He has been declaring the wonders of the Gospel message of Christ all the way from R...2024-10-2738 minWilletton Christian ChurchSola GratiaWe receive the grace of God through no work nor merit of our own. We are justified purely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness counted as ours, received by faith alone. We do not need elaborate rituals, activities or work for us to gain favour from God. God doesn’t help us only when we help ourselves. Instead, God gives his grace to us freely in Christ.
An encounter with the transcendent gracious God does not leave us the same. This God has saved us in Christ out of his sheer grace. This grace also works in and through us t...2024-10-2036 minWilletton Christian ChurchRidiculous!Most Christians are familiar with the basic outline of the Jonah narrative. It's one of the first Bible stories we are taught. But are there truths and details that we miss due to this familiarity? In this message, we take a deep dive into the kind of person Jonah was.2024-10-1332 minWilletton Christian ChurchSola Fide and Solus ChristusWe continue our short sermon series on the Five Solas. This week, we focus on the fact that we are saved in Christ alone through faith alone. In Ephesians 2, Paul begins by describing our condition and lives before Christ. He does not paint a pretty picture of who we are – spiritually dead and deserving of God’s wrath. It is a stark reminder of what we are saved from – our sins.
Because of God’s great love, mercy, and kindness to us, he accomplished salvation for us in Christ. All these blessings that God gives is only possible in Christ. He made...2024-10-0639 minWilletton Christian ChurchSola Scriptura500 years ago, it was thought that the Scriptures were too complicated for lay people. All we need to receive grace from God is to attend Mass at the local church. It did not even matter that we would not have been able to understand what was said during Mass, as long as we are a part of it, then we would receive God’s grace. Therefore, through this sort of thinking, the teaching of the church and the Scriptures themselves are put on equal grounds.
However, it is not the case today because of the Reformation. Scriptures are the very wo...2024-09-2938 minWilletton Christian ChurchForgetting GodThere was a Latin phrase that was once popular amongst Christians and was even used in some Christian liturgies, and that is the phrase Coram Deo, which means "before the face of God". This captures the essence of the text for this week, that the whole of the Christian life is to be lived Coram Deo - before the face of God. To plan our lives apart from God, as if to forget him, is to rob him of his glory. What is more, is that when we forget God and rob him of his glory, we also take his...2024-09-2235 minWilletton Christian ChurchLove the Fulfilment of the LawIn Romans 13, Paul continues his call for Christians to live a life of love towards others. He focuses on how Christians are to relate to the governing authorities. We are to submit to them as they are agents of God’s justice in our world. Through governing authorities, God restrains sin in our society and therefore creates a society in which there is order and justice.
That is why Christians should submit to governing authorities, because in doing so, we are actually loving our neighbours by fostering a peaceful and orderly culture. However, we only submit so far as what th...2024-09-1538 minWilletton Christian ChurchBelonging to Christ, the only Source of True ComfortIt is something people of all ages long for, especially in times of upset and distress…. COMFORT. The Heidelberg Catechism asks a very important question about comfort: “What is your ONLY comfort in life and death?” In other words, no matter what you’re facing, no matter how critical the situation, even life threatening, what is your only comfort? In the Psalms we find many beautiful songs of assurance and comfort, yes even in the face of death. When we look at the first question and answer of the Catechism and Psalm 16, we find much there that teaches us about the ONLY...2024-09-0840 minWilletton Christian ChurchA Life of WorshipRomans 12 is a shift in Paul’s letter. After 11 chapters of declaring God’s redemption of his people, Paul shifts the focus to what our response should be towards God’s amazing mercy. In light of all that God has done for us, the only true and proper worship of God involves us offering our bodies as a living sacrifice for God. It is the totality of our lives that we give in our worship to God.
Our worship begins with the renewal of our minds. We do not conform to the world, rather we conform to the mind of God. W...2024-09-0142 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod the Grand Artist of HistoryGod is the grand artist of history, and the world is his canvas. He is painting his story of salvation in this world. Paul gives us a further glimpse of what this completed canvas will look like in Romans 9 – 11. We have learned that God is completely sovereign in salvation and that the Israelites themselves rejected Christ, yet there is still a remnant chosen by God.
Those of us who are Gentiles are grafted into the covenant community. Therefore, we should not be arrogant about the blessings we received when it is all God’s initiative and work. Our response should be o...2024-08-2539 minWilletton Christian ChurchChrist the Culmination of the LawThe true offspring of Abraham is the children of promise, chosen freely by God and not based on human effort or desire. Because of this, God’s righteousness can only be obtained by faith alone in Christ alone, which the Gentiles did but the Israelites did not. The Israelites sought to establish their own righteousness, and therefore did not gain God’s righteousness through Christ. That is why Christ is a stumbling block to them, without realizing that Christ is the culmination of the law.
This Gospel message of Christ is actually near and available to everyone, Jews and Gentiles alik...2024-08-1839 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod's Sovereign GracePaul is in anguish for his fellow Israelites. Even though they had all the blessings and privileges of receiving God’s revelation in the Old Testament, they did not have faith in Christ. There are scores of God’s promises in the OT for the Israelites.
God’s promises were never based upon physical descent nor our own works. Right from the beginning, it has always been God’s own sovereign grace towards those that he chose. God is God and he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Our salvation is based entirely on God’s electing grace upon...2024-08-1146 minWilletton Christian ChurchHope in our SufferingSuffering is inevitable in our fallen world. If we live long enough, we will go through suffering. If Christ himself suffered and died, how could we as his followers expect that we are protected from that? However, Christ was raised powerfully from the grave into a new glorified body. In that same way, there will be a future perfected world that we are looking forward to. We have a future hope because of Christ and we wait eagerly and patiently for that world.
As we wait and live in this world, we have God’s Spirit working and interceding on ou...2024-08-0439 minWilletton Christian ChurchLiving as Children of GodThis week in Romans, we are looking at the high point of Paul’s argument. Paul has made the declaration that we are no longer in the realm of sin and death, and instead we are in the realm in which grace reigns. How should we approach our Christian life now that we have been rescued out of darkness into the kingdom of Christ? In Christ, there is no more condemnation as we have been set free by Christ. We now do not live according to the flesh, but to the Spirit.
Living according to the Spirit means that we se...2024-07-2837 minWilletton Christian ChurchRelating to God's LawThis weekend we resume our series on the book of Romans after a three-week break. We will be looking at Romans 7:1-25, which is about our relationship to God’s law. We are no longer bound by God’s law because we have died to God’s law in Christ. However, this doesn’t mean that the law is no longer applicable to us.
In the first place, the law was given to reveal our sin. Sin being sin, used the law to entice and deceive us to sin. The giving and enforcing of God’s law in the Old Testament...2024-07-2138 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Importance of RelationshipHow important are relationships? Are we really so dependent on other people in our lives? The story of Cain and Abel is one of different views on this point. In this week's service, we will unpack the theme of relationship as it pertains to everything that we read in the Bible. Specifically, we will look at: 1) how sin rots our relationships with God and others; 2) God’s deep-rooted desire for walking-talking relationships; and 3) how God restored our relationship through the blood of Christ. At the end of the day, we all need to decide whether we want to live as Ca...2024-07-0726 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Major Messages of the Minor Prophets l ZechariahAs we face a world in which war and conflict seem to be ever-present, and even getting worse, the reality of these events may naturally cause us to fear what’s next. As we explore these passages from Daniel and Acts, we will read of why we can be fearless in these fearsome times, for we will see, just as Daniel and Paul saw, that our God reigns, and he has equipped us to withstand the onslaught.2024-06-3030 minWilletton Christian ChurchAlive & Free in ChristIn the Western world, we have been conditioned to crave freedom and break free of limitations. However, such thinking will only result in anarchy and confusion. In our efforts to be set free from all constraints, we find ourselves ironically enslaved to the one thing that we did not expect – our own desires. Ultimately, we are still enslaved. Given our sinfulness, being enslaved to our desires leads only to sin and death.
True freedom is being set free to be who we are designed to be in God. In other words, true freedom as the Bible envisions is freedom to ob...2024-06-2336 minWilletton Christian ChurchPeace with God through ChristThrough Christ’s work on the cross, we have peace with God. This is not merely an inner peace within us, but rather a peace that the Old Testament would describe as shalom – a complete wholeness of your personhood, particularly in your relationship with God. Because of this peace, we have the hope of the glory of God and we can boast even in our sufferings. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are now reconciled to God.
We were enemies with God in the kingdom of Adam with no hope of escaping that kingdom. It is a ki...2024-06-1640 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod our Mighty FortressThis morning we delve into the timeless truths of Psalm 46. Our sermon will explore how God is our refuge in all circumstances. First, we’ll see how He provides shelter and strength in the face of natural disasters, assuring us that even when 'the earth gives way' (because doesn't it feel just like that sometimes) we need not fear. Next, we’ll examine God’s protection amid political turmoil, reminding us that nations may rage and kingdoms may fall, but His power and presence remain steadfast. We'll also reflect on God’s gracious invitation to rest in Him, finding peace and stil...2024-06-0928 minWilletton Christian ChurchFaith Alone2024-06-0243 minWilletton Christian ChurchBoasting in ChristToday, we will continue our reflection on the same passage of Romans 3:21-31. In this passage, we see that Christ is all the more worthy to boast about than ourselves. Salvation is of the Lord alone. In Paul’s description of the great Gospel message of Christ, it is God who initiates, executes, and applies salvation to us. We are merely recipients of this amazing grace.
We receive this grace of God’s righteousness by faith alone in Christ alone. Faith in Christ is basically trusting in Christ and what he has done for us. Therefore, it is not about the...2024-05-2636 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Righteousness of God GivenAfter two chapters of bleak and convicting passage on sin, Paul speaks the words of life in Romans 3:21-26 to us. In that passage, Paul declares the wonderful Gospel message to us – what God has done for us through Jesus Christ’s work on the cross. That work – the atonement – is like a multi-faceted diamond where we can inspect the beauty of the diamond from different angles. Each angle provides us with another glimpse into the intricate structure of the cut of the diamond, and thus makes us appreciate it even more each time.
In our passage, Paul uses three differen...2024-05-1940 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Wrath of God RevealedWhat is wrong with our world? Many have answered this, but at the heart of the issue according to God is the godlessness and wickedness of people. In other words, our sin. Because we did not glorify nor worship God, God gives us over to our sins.
He gives us over to our sinful sexual passions. We pervert our sexual desires and activities, using our bodies in a way that God has not designed for. Because of that, we all suffer the consequences that that brings.
He gives us over to our depraved minds, filled with all kinds of evil...2024-05-0539 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Righteousness of God RevealedThis morning, we get a glimpse into Paul’s love for the people of God and his unashamed passion for the Gospel. Even though he has never met them before, he prays for the Romans and longs to visit them. He would love to impart spiritual gifts to them to strengthen them in their faith. That is because he has been called to bring the Gospel to all mankind, particularly to the Gentiles.
He does all this because the righteousness of God has been revealed in the Gospel, which is received by faith alone. It is the same Gospel that we...2024-04-2837 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe One GospelThe word "Gospel" means momentous, life-altering news. Right from the start, we read that Paul was an apostle that is set apart for this Gospel of God - momentous, life-altering news from God. This Gospel has been promised by God in the Old Testament through the many prophets that he has sent. This means that it is not Plan B for God, but rather that it has been in God's mind since the beginning. This Gospel is also about a real historical person and event that happened 2000 years ago - God the Son becoming the man Jesus, who lived a...2024-04-2138 minWilletton Christian ChurchLiving a God Given Purposeful LifeWhy am I here... why do I exist? What is the purpose of my life? These are questions that people have asked for centuries. Those who have discovered the answer find that in a purposeful life, their life is found to have 'meaning' Many people all over the world ponder these questions. It is good for us to know there are very clear answers... our lives are not meant to be aimless, without purpose or direction. In this service we explore these questions and the answers God in His Word provides.2024-04-1433 minWilletton Christian ChurchTruthThere are so many fake things in the world of information and media in which we live and breathe. We often don’t know their source, and the wise thing is that if we ignore them, our lives will be unaffected. But there is a radically important truth which will totally impact our lives and change our priorities. It is the truth about who Jesus is and what he has done. It is the Gospel. It is found in the Bible. This is truth which underlies everything in 3 John.2024-04-0726 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus is Risen: AdoptedResurrection Sunday Part 12024-03-3108 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus is Risen: AdoptedResurrection Sunday Part 12024-03-3108 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus is Risen: PeaceResurrection Sunday Part 22024-03-3109 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus is Risen: BlessedResurrection Sunday Part 32024-03-3109 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus on Trial: MockedGood Friday Service Part 22024-03-2907 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus on Trial: JudgedGood Friday Service Part 12024-03-2909 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus on Trial: CrucifiedGood Friday Service Part 32024-03-2908 minWilletton Christian ChurchScripture: The Word that is Shared & ProclaimedMankind longs for salvation. Some think that they can find it in gaining power, either power by strength or by influence. Others think it can be found by looking inward to ourselves, either by embracing all our impulses or discarding all our desires. We think that power or inward peace will bring about eternal peace and security to our restless souls.
Thank God that true salvation is not found within us and what we can do. According to the Scriptures, true salvation is found external to ourselves in the one eternally unchanging God. He is the one who has revealed...2024-03-2437 minWilletton Christian ChurchScripture: The Word that SustainsTwo weeks ago, we read in Ezekiel 37:1-14 that God brings about our spiritual resurrection by his Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. God's people is a creature of God's word - creature in the sense that we were created and made alive by God's word. One author puts it this way, "She [the Church] has been made alive by the Word. God spoke her into existence through the declaration of the Gospel - his righteousness on our behalf."
The church has been made alive by God's word. It is also God's word that sustains us, just as...2024-03-1742 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Great TriadMost people want something to believe in even if it’s just belief in themselves, something to hope for even if it’s a bit wishful, and some experience of love even if it's only fleeting. Our hearts are hard-wired for faith, hope and love. And this great triad is also at the heart of the gospel that is perfectly designed to meet, substantially and lastingly, our deepest desires. These three virtues take us to the essence of Christianity and the greatest needs of our souls.2024-03-1030 minWilletton Christian ChurchScripture: The Word that ResurrectsThe fundamental problem with our world is the spiritual death of mankind. There is nothing we can do to change that. What can dead people do to save themselves?
Ezekiel speaks God's word to the very dry bones and they came to life. Only God can raise us from spiritual death to life. He accomplishes that through the proclamation of God's word by the power of His Spirit. This means that the first and most important activity of our Christian life is to sit under the faithful preaching of God's word.
We trust in God's sovereignty in our redemption and...2024-03-0336 minWilletton Christian ChurchLiving Confidently with God in Trust & PatienceWe’ve heard it a lot… ‘Step out in faith’. Yet do we really know what that entails? As individual Christians and as a church are we prepared to adventurously launch out with lots of unknowns and TRUST God that He will provide? Then also, when things appear to go ‘pear shaped’, do we have PATIENCE to ride out the storm with God in the boat knowing He can still the storm? In today’s sermon, looking at the life of Joseph, we will see what it means to trust God and have patience; really believing no matter what happens, He has it all...2024-02-2538 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod's Aching Heart for His Needy PeopleIt is no easy task to be an elder in the church of Jesus. The church is not another club or organisation, it alone in all the world is the body of Christ, His bride for whom He is very jealous. He loves us dearly, warts and all. In the life of Moses we see how great the love of God is for His people, a love to be reflected in the love, compassion, grace and patience of those He appoints as leaders. Such Christ-like service seems impossible... not everyone in the church is easy to get along with, some...2024-02-1927 minWilletton Christian ChurchTo God in PrayerPrayer is a central part of the Christian life. So why is it so hard? We know the Lord’s Prayer. We sometimes pray around the dinner table or when we need him. But is this enough? This Sunday, we will look at the end of Ephesians - following on from the previous verses on the Armour of God. Here, Paul gives us his explanation of why we should pray; what we should pray; how and when we should pray; and who we can pray for.2024-02-1824 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe God of the AfflictedIt seems that we’ve had a good number of sermons this year on personal afflictions & suffering. Last Sunday we had John’s encouraging sermon from Hannah & the “pouring out of her heart” regarding her childlessness - a major affliction in her days & still today.
It’s such a regular part of all our lives - grief, pain, anxiety in all forms. Do you still often struggle with the “why?” of your agonising?
James thought so also as he devotes the first section of his epistle to the subject - as we have seen.
Well, this morning points us to the God of all...2024-02-0533 minWilletton Christian ChurchHannah, Praying through TearsLife can be great and most of us would know fun times, wonderful experiences and fantastic holidays. But it’s not always like that. At times there are tears in our eyes and we are left wondering, “why is this happening?” or “how long can this go on?”. It begs the question: Who of us gets through life without tears?
What do you do then? Tough it out, hoping for better days ahead? Check out Psychology Today on your Newsfeed for helpful advice? Phone a friend? Each of these has some merit. The Christian knows that we should pray. On the days w...2024-01-2838 minWilletton Christian ChurchWisdom in TemptationAs it is still early in the new year, wisdom says that it is good to revisit regular aspects of our Christian life to know that we are not slipping in our devotion to our great Saviour. One vital & regular aspect is TEMPTATION - Ah! Yes! The dreaded word. Dreaded largely because we fail miserably in dealing with the temptations of our sinful hearts.
The good news is - in God’s providence - this is the next topic of James’ letter to the scattered church of the 1st Century - so may the Lord by His Spirit bless us as w...2024-01-2131 minWilletton Christian ChurchSpiritual WarfareThe armour of God is a very well known passage in Scripture. But what is it all about? What does it mean for us to put on God’s armour? And why do we need to do this? This Sunday, we will explore what Paul has to say about the spiritual war that rages in our world today and how we can best stand as soldiers for Jesus.2024-01-1539 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Major Messages of the Minor Prophets | HaggaiRebuilding is no easy task. It's hard enough to start a project and see it through to completion the first time around, so to have to do it all over again can feel like a waste of time. In the Bible, we see on numerous occasions that this isn't just true of physical buildings either. In fact, buildings seem to represent our own lives, and our relationship with our own master builder, who is also our foundation: God himself. While we are being built into a 'spiritual temple' for him, the book of Haggai forces us to acknowledge our weaknesses...2024-01-0734 minWilletton Christian ChurchOur Lifelong ResolutionIt’s that time of the year again. The world seems to get obsessed with their new resolutions for the New Year. Maybe they want to lose weight; drink less; make new friends; or learn a new skill. Whatever it is, most of the time, they’ve given up by the time February rolls by! In today’s service, we will take a look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In it, Paul provides a ’resolution’ for us that is actually of greater worth and significance. It is my hope and prayer that we can all be encouraged and challenged t...2023-12-3125 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Light in the DarknessThere's something about darkness that just seems wrong. Whether literal or metaphorical, darkness hides and conceals all kinds of threats to our lives - physical, mental, and, above all, spiritual. The problem, though, is that the more we look at the world around us, and the more we look at our own lives, the more darkness we seem to find; things we're ignorant of, and things we would rather others not know about. This morning, though, we're going to discover that there is a light shining in this darkness, one named Jesus, who has and will reveal everything wrong in...2023-12-2932 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Light of LifeIt's hard to escape all the lights around us at this time of year - it's Christmas, after all - but there is one light who stands above all others, who we'll be considering over a short Christmas series for the next couple of weeks. This week, we'll be thinking about what the apostle John means when he calls Jesus 'the light of life for all mankind' in the introductory passage to his gospel. Just who is Jesus, that John would give him such a title? Is he really that important to the lives of you and me? Hopefully, the...2023-12-1833 minWilletton Christian ChurchBeautiful Feet that bring Good News | Romans 10:10-17We know the world needs to hear the gospel, but how do we get involved? Romans 10 gives us a logical process of how people are able to call on the name of the Lord and be saved, and it begins with people being sent to preach the good news. Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15 tell us that beautiful feet bring good news. Let us think about our own feet, what message are we bringing and where are we going with it? We are the sent ones and we are the ones called to preach good news. Many of us may be reluctant...2023-12-1133 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Servant King | 1 Kings 12What do we think of the kings we read in 1 & 2 Kings? In my experience, we use the same summaries we were taught at Kids@Church: this king was good; that one was bad. This one was wise; that one was fat…and so forth. In 1 Kings 12, we learn about the kings that split Israel into two. On first reading, we might say they are just ‘bad kings’, but perhaps there is something to be said about us through their examples.
This Sunday, we will take a closer look at Rehoboam and Jeroboam to see how their choices are a result of fee...2023-12-1031 minWilletton Christian ChurchChrist the Lion of Judah, Our Assured Hope in a Scary World | Revelation 5The world is a REALLY SCARY place at the moment. The war in Ukraine with Putin’s threats of nuclear war was unsettling enough. Now Israel is in a all out war with Hamas in the Gaza strip and at any time this could engulf the entire Middle East… then who knows what China might do with Taiwan? For some, these foreboding events and threats are enough to put plans on hold… ‘wait and see what is going to unfold’. In the context of a baptism in our worship service, I am reminded of many reports over the years of couples sa...2023-11-2733 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Same Love - Like Jesus | Philippians 2:1-5Picture this: As Mum's birthday approaches, anticipation fills the air, and the kids, determined to make this year truly special, forgo the usual gimmicks. A spirited debate ensues among them, each vying to contribute the perfect idea. Sensing the escalating tension, they converge on Mum's bed one morning, collectively seeking her birthday wish. Without hesitation, Mum's simple desire emerges: "I just want my kids to love each other and get along."
In Philippians, the Apostle Paul, expressing deep affection for the Philippian church, unveils his heartfelt yearning. He says to them that the fulfillment of this one desire will "make...2023-11-1934 minWilletton Christian ChurchHow Can We Be Assured Of Salvation? | Psalm 91Sermon Description:
Can we be assured that when all is said and done, God will welcome us into his Kingdom for eternity? It’s a critical question – not just for Christians but for all people. As we look at the Apostle Paul’s comment about his own future and the confidence with which he speaks about it in 2 Timothy 4, we see that biblical assurance isn’t wishful thinking or a waste of time, but something that can bring the believer not only benefit in eternity but also real, tangible benefits in the here and now. It’s definitely something worth seeking.
...2023-11-1226 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod's Good Wisdom | Proverbs 8:1-36In Proverbs 8, we have Lady Wisdom calling out to all mankind to listen to her and follow her instructions. She calls us to choose her over gold and silver. Riches and wealth do not guarantee that we will flourish in God’s world. It is only through wisdom that we can flourish because wisdom teaches us how to do that in this world that God has made. As God created our world, he wove his wisdom into the fabric of his world and that is why true wisdom can only be found in a relationship with God.
As we come to...2023-11-0535 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Major Messages of the Minor Prophets - ZephaniahWhen reading through the Biblical minor prophets, there are a number of themes and phrases that keep appearing, such as sin and judgement, repentance and mercy, restoration and hope, all of which are connected with 'the day of the Lord'. As it so happens, that phrase and these themes all feature prominently in Zephaniah, which makes it a great book to sink our teeth into for the sake of better understanding what God has to say to us across these books of the minor prophets, as we consider what is and is not being said in these chapters, and how...2023-10-2935 minWilletton Christian ChurchHow can we trust the Bible? | John 5:31-47The late Reverend Tim Keller wrote that most visitors to his church [in New York] would say that “they know there are many great stories and sayings in the Bible, but today you can’t take it literally. What they mean is that the Bible is not entirely trustworthy because some parts – maybe many or most parts – are scientifically impossible, historically unreliable, and culturally regressive”. That’s strong language and leaves the Bible with lots of holes in it, but it’s not hard to find similar sentiments here. Where do you land on the question “How can we trust the Bible?”? I’m...2023-10-2240 minWilletton Christian ChurchA Longing for God | Psalm 42 - 43Psalms 42 and 43 could be described as Psalms of the Struggler. They describe the experience of someone who longs for God on the one hand, but who is honest enough to admit that they don’t feel God's presence. Someone who isn’t experiencing God’s love, although they long to. And, someone who doesn’t want things to stay this way. They desire things to change. But how? They’re not quite sure. And maybe that’s you as well. Or it will be you, at some point in the future.
God gave us these Psalms to help us when we experienc...2023-10-1532 minWilletton Christian ChurchGod’s Promises are better than Your Promises | Psalm 132We all make promises in our lives - promises to do certain things, to behave a certain way, or to be certain places. And Psalm 132 is full of promises - promises keep, promises broken and promises ignored. But above all, Psalm 132 is about the best promise of all - God’s promise to us of a Saviour, Jesus Christ.2023-10-0940 minWilletton Christian ChurchTwo Wells | James 3:1-12The epistle of James is concerned with living faith. A Faith that has come as the result of our new birth through the word of Truth (1:18). This word, that has given us new birth, is to govern the whole Christian life - James says we are to “humbly accept the word planted in you” and to “do what it says”. James spends much of his letter unpacking what this looks like both in word and deed. James 3:1 - 12 focuses on words. His big idea is that your words should draw from, and reflect, the word of truth planted within you. This mea...2023-10-0939 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Beatitude for TrialsHave you ever noticed how the Christian life is the antithesis of what Society says?
This morning we are confronted with God’s view of “happiness” contrasted with the world’s view.
Indeed everyone wants to be “happy!” The media is always advising us of the steps to be at peace with ourselves; winning lotto, holidays - whether cruises, tours or just caravanning around Australia - the push for “good health” by the medical fraternity. A quick look in the library or around a book store you see how popular the theme is!
God’s way is very practical - it absorbs the pr...2023-09-2438 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Spring of Living Water | Jeremiah 2:1-13We all want to live a good life; a life of peace and security, of comfort and prosperity, of life's pleasures, of relationship and community. Even if we don't expect to have all these things, we still desire them, because we recognise that they are good. But where do we turn to receive them? Where does the good life come from? In this passage from Jeremiah 2, we see that God himself is the provider of all the things we enjoy, but that Israel - his chosen people - had turned away from him and sought these things from elsewhere, and...2023-09-1733 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Wisdom of Poverty | James 1:9-11Australia is a wealthy nation & Australians are rich people by the world’s standards. James is writing to poor refugee Christians - the contrast could hardly be stronger! So is this passage of God’s Word unnecessary for us to give attention? Definitely not!
There is great danger for rich Christians in this world which sets its goal of earthly happiness in wealth - not in the riches of grace that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ! Wealth is God’s gift to be used generously for the needy - inside & outside the church.
James desires that us, as his re...2023-09-1131 minWilletton Christian ChurchA God Worthy of Praise & Trust | Psalm 33In Psalm 33 we’re challenged to consider our picture of God and to ask whether it’s really big enough! In the Psalm we’re called to praise God for his power and his majesty, to remember that he is an all-powerful, all-seeing God who rules over all things. But we’re reminded that even though God is so big and so powerful he is still a God who watches over and cares for his people. In the light of that truth, then we are called to avoid putting our trust in the things of this world, or in our own plan...2023-09-0530 minWilletton Christian ChurchMore than Conquerors Through Christ | Romans 8:31-39God has done great things for us through Christ. Despite our sinfulness, he has chosen to send Christ as a propitiation for our sins, so that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. This God is for us! This means that there is no one that can condemn us before God because he himself has declared us righteous through the atonement of Christ. This also means that nothing in all of creation, no matter our circumstances, are able to separate us from God's love in Christ. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors.
Preacher: Chin Wee Ang2023-08-1433 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Exhilarating Vision of God in Heaven that Strengthens His People | Revelation 4When turning to the book of Revelation how confusing do you find it? Do you know it is not meant to perplex us, but rather be a blessing by which as God's people on earth, facing overwhelming threats, we have COURAGE to go on an do the work Christ has commissioned us to do. So as we now turn to Revelation 4, we are taken up into Heaven to see God on the throne... our mighty, majestic, all powerful God who is seen in radiant light and glory. The temptation will be to interpret every detail, even though most of the...2023-05-2840 minWilletton Christian ChurchNot to Us, Lord! | Psalm 115The psalmist calls the people of God to trust in God instead of idols. Idols promise much but cannot deliver. The God of the Bible, on the other hand, delivers what the idols cannot. Therefore, we trust in God because he is our help and shield, and will bless us. The greatest blessing that God has poured out for us is secured in Christ. Therefore, trust in Christ, not in idols.2023-05-2138 minWilletton Christian ChurchDo you want to leave too? | John 6:68-69This Sunday we spend our time at the feet of the apostle John, listening and seeking to understand his account of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the third sermon from chapter 6 – the first of which focused on Jesus being the true bread, the second on Jesus being in the boat. In both studies we considered the miracles of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water and their subsequent teaching in versus 25-33 and 52-59. Continually in these passages we see the emphasis that Jesus doesn’t just provide bread – he is the bread, likewise Jesus...2023-05-1542 minWilletton Christian ChurchWalk | 1 John 1:5-2:2God is light! When we encounter God, we are exposed to His glorious light, and as believers, we're called to walk in that light. But, In the first chapter of 1 John, the apostle drops a warning about those who claim to be in the light but are actually walking in darkness. Why would anyone claim to be in the light while still walking in darkness? And let's be real, we all struggle with our own sins and brokenness every single day – So, how can we say we're walking in the light if that's the case? Here's the deal: God's light do...2023-05-0733 minWilletton Christian ChurchIs the Lord among us or not? | Exodus 32:1-20Do you ever feel abandoned by God? In the early part of Exodus, God delivers Israel with a mighty hand. The people saw the ten plagues in Egypt, and they were miraculously delivered through the Red Sea in Exodus 14. But already in chapters 15-17 they start grumbling and by the end of chapter 17 they ask the question “Is the Lord among us or not?". Things then reach crisis point in chapter 32 where the people actually make a golden calf to go before them. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 “now these things occurred as examples for us...on whom the fulfilment of the...2023-04-3033 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Apathetic Church and the Lovingkindness of the Forgiving Saviour | Revelation 3:14-21How healthy is our church community when it is measured independently by the Lord Himself? Perhaps we would open such a letter with trembling fingers knowing there is nothing Jesus does not know. He sees right through us and from Him nothing can be hidden. Perhaps we may have a view of ourselves as a congregation that has us opening such a letter with eagerness, thinking we have got things pretty well in good order and have nothing of which to be ashamed. In the book of Revelation we find in chapters 2 and 3 a total of seven letters Christ wrote...2023-04-2440 minWilletton Christian ChurchIn God We Trust | Exodus 33:19I’ve always been fascinated & encouraged with the U.S. dime with its bold statement of faith - IN GOD WE TRUST!Wow! A confessional nation! It’s straight out of the Bible! What a great testimony! A nation whose leaders place their trust & hope in Almighty God! Surely it will be blessed & enabled to face its challenges with peace & calmness!
That is what James is presenting to his scattered congregations of believers - with God walking by your side, the trials of life can be endured with joy, even pure joy. They had their share of trials - they were...2023-04-1644 minWilletton Christian ChurchDid Jesus Rise from the Dead? | Luke 24:6aIt's as if God knew that unbelieving Man would do everything he could to disprove the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Hence He gave us four accounts of it through the eyes of four different characters - Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. We note the variations in their accounts but all are in accord with the astonishing fact - that Jesus had risen from the dead.
In our courts of law, witnesses of the crime are worth their weight in gold - especially when there are a number. So God made sure that we have the personal accounts of many...2023-04-1324 minWilletton Christian ChurchNo Ordinary Cross | Luke 23:26-43 & 44-56The world’s major religions all have a symbol which sets them apart from the others. Buddhists have the lotus flower, Jews the Star of David and Muslims the crescent. But why do Christians have the cross? It hardly seems fitting. A cross was the most terrible and painful means of capital punishment ever devised. No Roman citizen could be crucified. The Jews knew it meant the person hanging was cursed by God. Yet Christians glory in the cross. We sing about it. We preach it. We give thanks for it. Why? Luke 23:44-46 gives us the clue. It shows us...2023-04-0740 minWilletton Christian ChurchJesus, Son of the Living God | Matthew 16:13-20, 21:1-11Palm Sunday presents the account of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. However, we don’t just use this passage because this event actually occurred a week before His death and resurrection…nor is it because of all the palm leaves! It serves as a timely reminder to reflect and ponder the question: Who is this Messiah, Jesus? Is He a nice guy who did a nice thing so we can live happy and comfortable lives? Is He a justice-crazed king who has come down to deliver vengeance on all who have wronged us? Or, is He someone quite different to a...2023-04-0325 minWilletton Christian ChurchThe Cross of Christ | John 3:14-18They are questions that require an answer. For many people the idea that God is a God of love does not make sense when they see so much suffering in the world. Why did He allow the fifty thousand plus people to Perish in Syria and Turkey with the recent earthquake and now flooding? Why doesn’t He do something about Ukraine? Why do little kids die?” If God is a God of love… why doesn’t He do something?” As we draw near to our celebration of Good Friday and Easter, we find the answers to these questions. Not just ‘glib...2023-03-2735 min