Episode

But wait there’s more – Matthew 13:31-32, Ezekiel 17:22-24 At the end of Matthew chapter 13, in the space of just nine verses, Jesus tells five parables – short, sharp, evocative parables – that reveal, to stick with seeds theme, kernels of truth about the kingdom of God – about Read more…

Now Kingdom, Start Growing – Psalm 86:11-17, Matthew 13:24-30 I found myself this week, as you do, reading an article entitled, ‘Controlling Weeds Post-Harvest in Winter Wheat’ from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska -Lincoln, and this line jumped out at me, “Controlling weeds Read more…

Christ at all hazards fruit hath shewed – Isaiah 55:10-13, Matthew 13:1-9 I caught up with a friend for coffee at the start of this week. When I was young there was a wall poster – with an image like this – that said, “I know into each life some Read more…

For the elders – Genesis 24 One of the gifts Covid brought my family was a weekly zoom gathering – precious shared time during the pandemic and the three years of my father’s cancer treatment. But in July last year, after treatment had come to an end, it was clear Read more…

10 Sermons in 1 on Giving – Exodus 35:4-5a, 20-29, 2 Cor 9:6-14 This is not an official event in the liturgical calendar, but today is the last Sunday of the 2022/2023 financial year and in our bulletin there is a note, from the treasurer (I am speaking of Ian Read more…

Refugee Sunday – Genesis 12:10-20 &16 (Deut 10:12-13,17-19 & Heb 13:1-2,12-16) Today is Refugee Sunday so I am deviating, slightly, from the lectionary readings. For your information these include the wonderful story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18 entertaining three men or angels or God-Godself (the text keeps this Read more…

All God’s children – Genesis 12:1-9, Psalm 33:1-12 Perhaps I shouldn’t confess this, but it was only this week, as I was reading commentaries on Genesis 12 that I realised what a crucial passage of scripture this is; how – although the biblical story begins in Genesis – the story Read more…

You are my all in all – Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8 One of my favourite stories of the saints is a story about St Therese of Lisieux, who was born in 1873 and died in 1897, and is revered by Catholics for the simplicity and practicality of her approach to Read more…

Over the last four weeks we have explored Baptist Mission Australia’s May Mission Month theme of Alongsiders. Who are Alongsiders? They are Baptist Mission Australia intercultural workers – people who model the incarnation – John 1, God moving into the neighborhood – by living and working in Malawi or South Read more…

It’s an odd coincidence, but twice now I have preached on this wonderful account of Paul’s second missionary journey – the story of how the gospel first reached Europe – just after returning from Europe. It is not my doing! In 2019 it was the lectionary reading for that Sunday Read more…