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Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

A new way of handling conflict. Personal Custom Dream This dream takes place in the same era as Little House on the Prairie. Danie and I and my girls, Aubrey, age 13, and London, age 10, are in this dream. There are a man and woman in this dream who are the owners of this establishment the dream takes…

Revelation 21:9 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Here, the theme of us being God’s bride is continued with the image of God preparing us as we participate in the…

Finishing the race of the Christian life well requires a sanctified dissatisfaction with our current level of maturity, devotion to Jesus, a future-oriented direction and the last two requirements we will talk about in today's message. Listen as Pastor Leger continues to unpack what is required to finish well.

(S1) —Series: Choosing BETTER Let go of the GOOD to grab hold of the BETTER—There is GOOD and there is BETTER Week 1 — BETTER is...a day with God than a day without God! (S2) — Memory verse #1 — Psalm 84:10 Practical steps—Constant Communion—Instant Obedience—Daily Desperation Week 2 ~ Better is one…

God’s Fire: Refining Gold Week 2 I asked last week if any of us enjoy suffering and going through difficult times in life. The simple answer is no. But understanding what James tells us in the first chapter of the book by his name, we should realize that trouble in this life can be to our benefit, and…

God’s Fire: Refining Gold Week 4 This past Thursday, a few of us from Faith enjoyed Sr. Citizens Day at Camp Pearl. There were plenty of donuts and coffee, and we ate a Thanksgiving meal. We also got to hear from Pastor Chuck Lusk, a church planter and recently retired Afghanistan veteran. He experienced…

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Eating together is an important feature of almost all cultures. But what makes it so important to share food with others? Is it the same for Christians, or does it have even more significance? Join us as we look at why eating together is so important, and how we can do it better.

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.

The followers of Jesus have been confronted by bullies since the very beginnings of the church. But why? And how should we respond? Join us as we explore Acts 4, the first encounter between bullies and boldness for the church.

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.

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.