Past Sermon Series
Here is a list of all previous sermon series at St Matthew's morning and St Andrew's afternoon service. Click each series to see its list of associated sermons, or to do an advanced search for sermons visit the Sermon Search page.
Psalms II - Matters of the Heart
Don't you sometimes want to just let it all out? Rip open your chest and shout "I FEEL LIKE THIS!" All our emotions - from the fear of death around the corner to bursting "How good is this!" - can be brought to God. He knows us intimately and he wants to hear us cry from our hearts. This series uses the words of the psalmist to help us bring our fears and joys to God.
Solo Sermons
Sometimes things come in the life of our church that we want to address through the teaching in our gatherings. This is a collection of those sermons that don't fit into a normal series.
Christmas Forever?
Does the idea of Christmas forever scare you? The crowds and chaos of the shops, the rushing between family gatherings, the tinny piped-in carols? Imagine that lasting forever. At least sometimes the snow and reindeer might not look quite out of place.
But imagine the good parts of Christmas lasting forever. The peace of the holidays, the promise of better days, the celebrations. At the heart of the Christian faith is the promise of the best forever. That's why Jesus was born in the first place.
Luke - Walking the Talk
Anyone can talk, but the question is, can you walk the talk? Jesus made some big claims about himself - but could he back it up? As we go through part of the gospel of Luke, we'll see how Jesus shows us that he is not just talk, but that he is a man of action. As followers of him, we are called to be people of action too. We might claim him as our Lord, but will our actions show we're just talk?
The Letters of John
The death and resurrection of Jesus brings us into a relationship with God our Creator. But as we continue to live in this world, our dependence on Jesus can be assailed by false claims and doubts. Is Jesus truly the Son of God? Does he really save? Is my eternal life certain?
The Letters written by John brings us assurance about these matters. We read here of what it looks like to have true knowledge of and relationship with God: righteousness of life, love for each other, and faith in Jesus the Christ.
The Song of Songs
Poetic, romantic, intimate. In Song of Songs, two lovers express their emotions and desires for each other. The Song is a powerful and unabashed affirmation of love, passion and human sexuality.
The joy and goodness of this aspect of our humanity stands in stark contrast to the messages this world screams at us. There is much pain and confusion in our lives. The message of God's grace is a refreshing voice we need to hear on this topic.
Habakkuk
On some days it seems evil is rampant in our world. From the international stage, where we are horrified at the wars, riots and violence we witness through the media, to the injustice and pain we experience in our own lives, evil goes unchecked. Where is God when evil happens? If God is a good and loving God, and his is all-powerful, then why does evil happen?
Titus
What we believe informs our behaviour. A right understanding of who God is and what he has done for us in Jesus will lead us to the right response to him. The letter to Titus teaches right belief and right behaviour in three circles of life - the church, the home and the world.
Nahum
We all crave justice. The wrong put right. Evil people getting what they deserve. Except when we are just as guilty. Nahum brought a message of judgement regarding the people of Ninevah, capital of the mighty Assyrian nation and Israel's enemy.
Ezra & Nehemiah
A fresh start sounds exciting. But when you're returning from 50 years in exile, your nation has been humiliated, your city is in ruins, and the temple where you worship has been flattened - you'll need help. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, and guided by the gracious hand of God, the people of God rebuilt their nation. In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we read of their efforts, and we learn about living within our city as citizens of God's city, the new Jerusalem.
Simple Easter 2011
So often simple things are complicated so much that they can lose their meaning. Go back to the source - the foundations - to see what it's all about. So this Easter we'll be looking at John's account of Jesus' trial, crucifixion and resurrection to see what they mean for us today.
Luke - The Way of the Cross
Following Jesus is a journey. Jesus taught about this journey as he journeyed to Jerusalem and the cross. Just as the cross cast its shadow over his journey, so too the cross shapes and informs all aspects of our journey with Jesus. Walking with Jesus, we should expect our journey to be similar to his - we should expect opposition, difficulties and struggles. We persevere, knowing this is the only way to life in Jesus. It is often tempting to take the easy way, but that it is not the way of the cross.
At St Matthew's, 15 weeks starting from 23rd February 2011.
Ephesians - God's New People
When God saves you, he brings you into fellowship with other Christians. It's a community of believers united by faith in their one Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. But what will this community of believers look like? How are they to live as God's people? The letter to the Ephesians informs our thinking. Here we are given a picture of what God has done for us in Jesus, and once we've grasped the enormity of that, then we can see clearly what this community will be like.
At St Andrew's, 18 weeks starting from 23rd January 2011.
Psalms I - Matters of the Heart
Don't you sometimes want to just let it all out? Rip open your chest and shout "I FEEL LIKE THIS!" All our emotions - from the fear of death around the corner to bursting "How good is this!" - can be brought to God. He knows us intimately and he wants to hear us cry from our hearts. This series uses the words of the psalmist to help us bring our fears and joys to God.
Jesus Who?
There are many different understandings about who Jesus is and what he did while on earth. Images from our childhood memories, the media and the church, often conflict. In the lead up to Christmas, we'll be exploring what God thought about Jesus - who he would be and what he would do - by looking at various titles from the Old Testament. These titles will be familiar to most carol singers, but do we understand what they mean? Who do you say Jesus is? Does God agree with you?
At St Matthew's and St Andrew's, 5 weeks starting from 28th Nov 2010.
Idolatry 101
What do you worship? We all worship something or someone. It's what makes us get up in the morning, it dictates how we spend our money and time. Our idols can promise much, but what can they actually deliver? Where is true power and satisfaction found? This series explores the insidious nature of false idols, and takes us back to the "one true and living God."
