Disciples for Christ

21 January, 2024 Malcolm Haynes (Lay reader)

For some people, fishing is enjoyable relaxation. There are also others around the world who rely on fishing to provide for their families – you don’t catch, you don’t eat. When Jesus called to the fishermen, Simon and Andrew, James and John, he was calling them to leave behind their jobs, their lifestyles and their families to become his disciples. Jesus also calls us to be his disciples and become “fishers of people”. Discipleship is a journey where God has given us gifts and opportunities to share the message of salvation with the world. We pray that God’s love will work through us so that others see and hear Jesus in our words and actions.

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God knows you

14 January, 2024 Anny Ferguson (Lay Reader)

God knows you inside out. Despite our best efforts to hide and disguise ourselves, He knows every part and He still comes as our Saviour. Why? Because God doesn’t want to just know us, He wants to be known by us in return, to be in relationship with each and every part of His creation. Come and see Jesus.

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Our Baptism is the Baptism of the Lord

7 January, 2024 Rev Dr Dean Zweck

At his baptism God sent down the Holy Spirit on Jesus and revealed him as his beloved Son. As God’s anointed Son Jesus took upon himself the servant work of saving the world. Because he did that we too can be baptised. We are baptised into Jesus Christ. We are baptised into his death and resurrection. Our sins are washed away, we die to sin, and we are born anew of water and the Spirit to live as new people. We become God's children through Christ. In baptism we too are anointed with the Holy Spirit and are empowered for doing good, for mission, for service.

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Another year of Grace

31 December, 2023 Pam Martin (Lay Reader) / Pastor Neil Stiller

Another year has almost gone and we are on the brink of 2024. What kind of year has 2023 been for you? How would you place it on a scale of 1-10? As we stand on the threshold of another year, Jesus tells us through the parable of the fig tree, of God's forgiveness and grace. He is ready to help us be the people we should be as we step forward with him into the new year.

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Two kinds of Christmas gifts

25 December, 2023 Pastor Neil Stiller

'To you is born this day a Saviour who is Christ, the Lord.' Luke 2:11

There are two kinds of gifts that I receive at Christmas - those I want and those I don't want. Christmas reveals God's amazing Gift to us humans. Is that Gift among those I want, or don't want?

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Outback Christmas

17 December, 2023 Pastor Geoff Burger

Outbook Christmas was a book published in 1981, written by Dr Norm Habel, illustrated by Pro Hart. Most of our Christmas art and verse has been inherited from English and European sources, but the Christian message is universal and other cultures commonly portray the characters and events surrounding Christ's birth in line with local custom. The ideas and images of the book reflect the search of many Australians to express their faith in language consistent with the Australian experience.

Lead by Pastor Geoff Burger at our 10am Worship Service, several members of St John's performed monologues reflecting on the Christmas story in an Australian context. The audio recording includes several songs and hymns. It concludes with a blessing by the author, Dr Norm Habel. (The recording goes for 46 minutes.)

The Bible Readings pdf is from our Lessons and Carols 8.30am Worship Service.

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Simply Good News

11 December, 2023 Pastor David Christian

Mark begins his Gospel with the Words: The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Then he tells us how Jesus brings in a new Kingdom and calls us to repent and welcome this Kingdom. Mark tells us the Good News of the great victory Jesus will win, and the life changing transformation this has for all people for this life and for the life to come.

We have often made the Good News too narrow. We might picture it as describing a personal relationship we can have with Jesus. We might see it as little more than believing in Jesus so that when we die we will go to heaven. We might even reduce it to good advice. But it is much, much more. The Good News is the message of a great victory won by Jesus which transforms our whole life on earth and in heaven. It is the Good news which is for all people and for all aspects of life. What Jesus did brings JOY TO THE WORLD. Please don’t limit the Good News this Advent and Christmas.

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Have yourself a what kind of Christmas

3 December, 2023 Pastor John Thiel

As we commence Advent and the pre-Christmas period, what kind of Christmas do you hope for? What kind of Christmas should I wish you? One of the carols we will probably hear this Christmas is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It’s a very nice carol in many ways. Some of the words are:

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

Next year all our troubles, will be out of sight

Once again, as in olden days

Happy golden days of yore

Faithful friends who are dear to us

Will be near to us once more

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”

A Merry Christmas?? A Little Christmas?? Should that be our goal?

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'..you did it to me'

26 November, 2023 Pam Martin (Lay Reader) / Pastor Neil Stiller

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me.” (NIV) Today is the last Sunday of the church year. We are looking forward towards Christ’s coming and as his people representing him on earth, we ask…how shall we live as we wait his return? Matthew 25: 35-40 focuses on the parable Jesus told about the separation of the sheep and the goats on Judgement Day. This parable refers to Jesus's prophecy in the New Testament (Matthew 25:32) that the sheep (the compassionate) will sit on God's right hand (and find salvation), and the goats (the hard-hearted) will sit on the left (and be condemned.) Justice will be served. But is this the point of the story Jesus told? What message was Jesus trying to tell us in this dramatic parable?

Pam Martin (Lay Reader) at the 8.30am Worship Service

Bishop Andrew Brook (Guest Preacher) at the 10.00am Worship Service (Confirmation)

Apology: there is no audio recording available of these sermons

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