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What is baptism? What does it mean? Why is it important? And why does it involve dunking people in water? We explore the deep roots of this ancient practice and discover why it is both so meaningful and so joyous.

Why does Christianity continue to grow? What are the values that drive its culture-spanning history? How does it transform cultures and people into better versions of themselves, rather than forcing the one culture on everyone? The values of inclusion and diversity, which lie at the heart of Christianity, account for all these questions. But then why does the church struggle so much with the modern Western values of inclusion and diversity? Where did they come from? How are they different? Join us as we grapple with these questions in the hope that we can understand how, as modern, Western Christians, we can embrace the values of Christianity while reaching out to a broken world.

There are few things that are both more foundational to our experience as Christians and more difficult to maintain than the act of meeting together with other Christians. Even in a society where Christianity is not met with active persecution, meeting together requires substantial effort. Is it worth it? Why do we bother? What is the purpose of meeting together and why should we prioritise it? Join us as we explore the first of our Church Practices.

Ruth accompanied a despairing Naomi home to Bethlehem out of a strong bond of loyalty. She did not expect anything from the move. Yet she gained a protector and a son, and even a place in the ancestry of the savior of the world! What pleasant surprises have we had in our own new beginnings?

Joy is a major theme in both the Old and New Testaments, so both Judaism and Christianity are faiths full of joy. But what exactly is joy? Where does it come from? What suppresses it? How does it work today, in my day-to-day life in 21st Century Australia? Join us as we tackle these questions.

God's word is an incredible gift. But do we really understand what it is, how it fits into our lives, how it transforms us? Join us as we explore what studying the Bible can do.

Samson seems like a super-hero. With his super-strength he is almost invulnerable, and single-handedly kills thousands. And yet his story is one of constant frustration and failure. Samson's strength is not his own, for he was called to a purpose: ridding Israel of the Philistines. So even when he ignores this purpose, God works through him to achieve this end. How can we avoid being like Samson--striving for (and failing at) our own purposes serving greater ends despite ourselves? Are we, too, doomed to Samson's restless misery, or is there a better way?

The idea of service as a high calling is unique to Christianity. Jesus showed us by example how a leader must be servant of all. We have a choice: the way of the Dragon, which exploits strength and power to achieve control and dominance, or the way of the Lamb, which recognises that God's power is expressed through our weakness, and frees us to serve one another. How do these contrasting approaches work in the modern world? Join us for some ideas. The video from Mrs Maisel early in the sermon can be found here: https://youtu.be/pvKe0c007Cc

In Judges 6-9 we read the account of Gideon. One of the most famous scenes from this account is Gideon's fleece as he sought reassurance from God. But is this really something we should be emulating, or is their something rotten underneath the cute story? Join us as we explore the ancient Israelite judge, Gideon.

Have we reached a final age for Christianity, a post-Christian age? Or have we never been in a Christian age at all? The last verses of Acts reveal a startling reality about how Christianity interacts with the surrounding cultures which just might turn our ideas about our nation and its history on their heads.

After God led Israel into the promised land of Canaan and conquered the inhabitants, what happened to the people? Did they go from strength to strength, or did they fall back into temptation and chaos? The book of Judges tells us what happens when God gives his people good things, but not good hearts. The first judges, Othniel and Ehud, show us what a human deliverer can do, and cannot do. Join us as we discover how God works in a broken world.

In Acts 9 we hear of Paul's radical transformation from persecutor to proselytizer. What effected this transformation? Is this power available in our lives?

At Pentecost, the first sign visible to people outside that upper room was the sound of the disciples speaking in their own languages. God's purposes have never been limited to a select few, although he has always selected a few to serve him. But his goal has always been to reach the whole world. To reach a world riven by differences, we need to engage with those differences. Listen on to find out how God helps us do that.

Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing because love understands the nature of human beings. That is also why it rejoices with the truth. But what exactly is the nature of human beings, and why does that make love work this way?

Renew's values are Biblical Discipleship, Gracious Community, and Light to the World. Where do these values come from, what do they mean, and how do we live them out? Join Malcolm as he explores our foundations and their consequences.

We are called to be in the world, but not of it. Yet in our world today, we are surrounded by powerful, influential corporations. These entities are rarely aligned with Biblical ethics because they exist to make money. So how should Christians interact with them? How should we be customers, employees or even bosses in this complex, sinful world we are called to shine in, but not belong to? Join us as we explore God's words on this important topic.

Love always supports, is always loyal. How much do we yearn for that sort of love? The Good News that we share as followers of Christ is that this sort of love is not only given to us, it is given to us to share! Join us to explore what it means to be always supportive and loyal.

Today we will be in Luke 9:23-24 Last week we talked about “What makes a Christian?” And the Bible scripture we looked at to answer that came from Acts 11:19–26 . From the first Christians, we answered the question, “What is a Christian?” 1. Someone who has heard the Good News , the Gospel, of Jesus…

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul gives a list of ways to describe love. The seventh item in that list is key--he says that love is not self-seeking. But if love is not interested in furthering its own interests, but rather the interests of others, how can we love that way? Isn't it dangerous? The Gospels show us the answer to that. Join us as we explore this radical concept unique to Christianity.

Solomon concludes his search for wisdom under the sun with nothing more than empty admonitions to take action rather than doing nothing. But in the end, he says, it's all meaningless. But wait, there's more! A mystery editor concludes the book with an extraordinary turn around: you can exhaust yourself with endless worldly wisdom, or you can take the simple path. What is that simple path, and how do we tread it today?

Hope seems to be a tenuous feeling in our world. Our "hopes" are as often in vain as they are fulfilled. And yet, in the Bible, we find God's word offers a type of hope that is very different. Mary's reaction to God's promises demonstrates Biblical hope for us, and helps us understand how crucial it is to our spiritual journey.

Proverbs is a difficult book, full of contradictions, puzzles and straightforward no-brainers. How should a Christian treat this ancient collection of wisdom? Does it have any value for us in the distant 21st Century, almost three millenia removed from its origins? Join us as we introduce our study on Proverbs, wisdom for life.

The book of Ecclesiastes has consistently confused its readers with its bold arguments against traditional wisdom. For us moderns, its words ring true. But what if Ecclesiastes is strikes such a sympathetic note to us because it is so materialistic, like we are? What if Solomon's exploration of wisdom "under the sun," is really an exercise in finding wanting all the options available to materialism? Join us as we start our journey with the Teacher of Ecclesiastes.

Peace, we all yearn for it, but what is it? If we go by our society's image of peace, we would think it could be find in nature, or in transcendental meditation. But the Bible tells us that peace is something quite different. In the Bible, relationship is placed at the core of our story. And so peace is all about relationship. So what does peace have to do with Christmas? Join us as we hear of Joseph's journey, and how he found peace.

In the third chapter of Ruth, Naomi hatches a scheme to ensure Ruth is cared for. Her scheme sounds bizarre to our ears, and even lewd to ancient Hebrew ears. Will God honour such a scheme? Will Ruth go through with it? Join us as Malcolm takes us through this extraordinary episode in one of the most famous love stories of all time.