In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul addresses a crowd of people in the market place in the city of Athens – A Roman city dedicated to the worship of the Roman Gods. Noticing a statue to an ‘unknown god’, Paul begins to introduce the people of Athens to the God they had previously not known, and he makes God known by telling them the gospel of Jesus. But Knowing God was not just a question for ancient Romans.
This Friday, the 31st of October, many people around the world will celebrate the Lutheran reformation. One of the things Martin Luther struggled with which led him to his new understanding of God’s grace was getting to know God more personally. For Luther, and many other Christians at that time, God was a righteous, distant being who sat in judgement over all. When Luther realised that God was not distant and judging, but rather very near and loving, full of grace and mercy, his understanding of who God is and how he relates to us sparked the Lutheran reformation. This week we will continue to explore what it means to know God personally as a Heavenly Father and as a loving saviour through his son Jesus.
Final week of our series: "Since you asked"
This week, we encounter a foundation that has withstood centuries of scrutiny and scepticism. These readings invite us not just to hear Scripture, but to trust it.
The psalmist declares, “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89), while the New Testament affirms that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). Together, they reveal a God who speaks with clarity, preserves his truth across generations, and meets us in our questions. Whether wrestling with doubts or reaffirming faith, let these passages remind us: the Bible’s reliability rests not in human wisdom, but in the faithfulness of the One who inspired it. As we listen, may the Spirit awaken fresh confidence in the living word that guides, convicts, and transforms.
Part 5 of our series: "Since you asked"
‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6)—words that spark hard questions: Why only one path? Could a loving God really close other doors? But what if this ‘narrowness’ is love in action—a God who doesn’t offer vague ideals but becomes the road himself? Could this singular way be the very thing that frees us? Not by narrowing our lives, but by widening our hope? Let’s uncover how Christ’s claim isn’t a cage… but a doorway to grace.
Part 4 of our series: "Since you asked"
Why does a God who’s supposed to be good let bad stuff happen? We’ve all been there: life throws a curveball, the news feels heavy, or grief hits out of nowhere, and you’re like… “God, where are you in this?” But let’s be honest-there is no simple answer to this question.
However, there is one who is with us as we ask it. We believe God isn’t distant or detached; He’s fully present in the midst of our struggles, transforming our cries of “Why?” into a far greater story that is beyond our understanding. So whether you’re wrestling doubting, or just curious - let's here what the Word has to say to us.
Part 3 of our series: "Since you asked"
"Does God exist? This fundamental question has stirred the hearts and minds of every generation, from ancient philosophers to modern scientists, from sceptics to seekers.
It's a question that demands more than intellectual curiosity—it calls for honest examination of the evidence around us and within us. This morning, we'll explore what God’s word reveals about this ultimate question, discovering that God has not left us to wonder in darkness but has made himself known in ways both profound and personal.
Part 2 of our series: "Since you asked"
The Monty Python crew spent an entire movie exploring the Meaning of Life. The ‘Deep Thought’ supercomputer in ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ calculated that the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, was 42.
While these specific theatrical productions are a somewhat ridiculous exploration of the question, the fact remains that whether life has a purpose and knowing what that purpose is, remains one of the most frequently asked questions on the Google search engine. People long to know that their lives mean something and have a purpose and discovering that purpose, is in many ways, the ultimate goal of most human endeavours. If our lives have purpose then we are immediately transformed from being just a cosmic improbability of random materials that just happen to have arranged themselves into ‘us’ and into something significant and powerful, able to influence and shape the world around us.
The strange thing is that the one person qualified to answer that question, the one who created us, has already clearly articulated what his intent and purpose for his creation was and what it still is today. That’s what we’re going to explore this week as we address the question of ‘does life have a purpose?’
Week 1 of our series: "Since you asked"
We are going to take a moment this week to think about and give thanks for emergency service workers. Firefighters, paramedics, lifeguards and police.
They don’t serve for their own comfort or recognition, they step into dangerous situations so that others might be saved. We recently saw this demonstrated profoundly in the actions of the Victorian Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty there only a few weeks ago. As we come to the end of Joseph’s story this week, we see something similar. Joseph stepped into all sorts of painful and difficult situations because of his brothers and he could have punished his brothers for all he had endured, but instead he served them – and through that service, God saved not just a family but an entire nation. And Joseph’s story points us to Jesus – the one who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life to save the world.
Final week of our Old Testament series: "Behind the Seen"
There’s a fine line between revenge and justice. It’s a line that those of us who have been hurt or betrayed by others often cross without even realising it. We think all we want is justice, for someone to admit to the wrong they have done and to somehow make up for the hurt they have caused, but often what we really want is revenge, to make them suffer or hurt in some kind of proportional, or perhaps disproportional response from us.
Apart from God, Joseph is perhaps arguably the most qualified character in the Old Testament to have a legitimate and understandable desire for revenge. And yet the journey God has taken him on doesn’t see him seething with hatred when he sees his brothers again. He may not immediately trust them, but his ultimate response is to recognise how God had used their betrayal to bring him to Egypt, where God had a plan to save his entire family. Knowing God’s plan helped Joseph to see beyond their betrayal and forgive them.
Part 6 of our Old Testament series: "Behind the Seen"
Have you ever had life change in an instant? One phone call, one decision, one moment — and suddenly everything is different.
Joseph went from a prison cell to Pharaoh’s palace in a single day. But behind that sudden shift was a God who had been preparing him all along. Joseph didn’t map out a career path from pit to palace — he simply lived faithfully each day, wherever God placed him. And when the moment came, God raised him up. What if the position God is preparing you for tomorrow depends on the faithfulness you choose today? This week we’ll explore how God still works behind the scenes, lifting us from places of despair into positions for His purpose.
Part 5 of our Old Testament series: "Behind the Seen"