Mission 3 - Teach The Bible
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Teach the Bible audio (5MB)
I wonder how many of you are old enough to remember a TV show called the Greatest American Hero. It was about an ordinary guy who encounters aliens who’ve decided that earth is in such a bad way it needs saving. So they send him a belt that gives him super powers. They also give him a set of instructions for using the belt but somehow he manages to lose them; and so he blunders from one adventure to another, never really working out how to control these new super powers. Well I think that’s something of a parable of many Christians who’ve received the gift of the Holy Spirit, have been brought into the people of God, but they don’t really know how to live from then on, because they’ve forgotten to read the instruction manual. It’s not that they’ve lost the instructions but they’ve never read the details. In some cases they’ve never had their own copy of the instructions or the one they have isn’t readable. I visited an older parishioner a few years ago and was discussing some theological question they had but when I asked if they had a Bible we could look at, the only one in the house was the King James Version. Now I know the language is beautiful, or so they say, but when you’re trying to understand what something means it’s very hard to do when the language is so foreign to you, when words have changed so much in 400 years. But at least they had a Bible and read it regularly.
Well, let me ask you,
Does it matter if I read my Bible regularly?
Mission 2 - Speak the Gospel
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- Written by: George Hemmings
Speak the Gospel audio (5MB)
On Tuesday the 11th of June, at 8:50pm, about six hours after Jacob was born, I started sending out text messages to tell people the good news. Of course we’d phoned family and a few close friends before that. Yet somehow, I was already three hours behind Chris, who must’ve sent out an email as soon as he got off the phone! We love sharing good news like this don’t we? Passing it on to others, letting them hear what’s happened. We race to tell people about new babies, new jobs, new homes, share all sorts of good news.
Our Mission
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- Written by: George Hemmings
We're on a Mission from God audio (5MB)
Just like Jake and Elwood in the Blues Brother’s, we’re on a mission from God. Like theirs, ours is a holy mission. But our mission isn’t to raise money for an orphanage. Our mission is something a little more profound than that.
This morning we’re starting a new sermon series, looking at our mission at St. Thomas’. It’s an important summary of what we’re on about as a church. Guides us as we think about what’s important. Should shape all that we strive to do. When I started here, asked how does each ministry fit into this mission? Questions we should all be asking, how can we, how can I help carry out this mission. What part am I going to play in it?
So what is it? Who knows what our mission is? Who thinks they can remember it?
Series: Theme: On a Mission from God
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
On a Mission from God
A series based on the Mission Statement of St Thomas' Burwood.
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On a Mission from God |
Acts 1:6-9 |
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Speak the Gospel |
Rom 10:10-15 |
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Teach the Bible |
2 Tim 3:14-4:5 |
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Build Community |
Rom 12:1-13 |
Habakkuk 3
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- Written by: Ian Thomason
A Prayer of Faith: A God Who Delivers audio (5MB)
Habakkuk 3:1-19
Good morning.
Before I preach on Habakkuk chapter three, I’d like to pose a question that I hope everyone will devote a little time to in quiet reflection, as I speak for the next twenty minutes.
It’s been my experience that preachers will often ask rhetorical questions in sermons, sometimes with a knowing look and a gentle tilt of the head. Stagecraft aside, they do this because preachers don’t want us to be passive pew-sitters, they want us to be actively thinking through the implications of a given point.
My question is quite straightforward, but the proper response has consequences that directly affect everyone in church today.
The question is this: for what purpose were we created?
Habakkuk 2
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- Written by: George Hemmings
A Promise of Vindication (Unfortunately due to technical difficulties the audio for this sermon was not recorded.)
I wonder how are you at waiting? How was that wait? Were you itching for the sermon to start? Could you not wait to hear a response to the reading?
Chapter 2, begins with Habakkuk waiting. He’s waiting for God to answer him. If you were here last week, you’ll know that the book of Habakkuk is a conversation between the prophet and God. It started with Habakkuk complaining to God about the injustice he saw going on in Judah. He asked God – Why are you letting all this violence go on? How long will you let it happen? When are you going to do something about it?
Series: 35: Habakkuk
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Habakkuk
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A Call for Justice |
Hab 1:1-2:1 |
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A Promise of Vindication |
Hab 2:2-20 |
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A Prayer of Faith |
Hab 3 |
